On the morning of July 20, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha chaired a direct and online meeting with the headquarters of the People's Committees of the northern and north-central provinces, and more than 1,700 communes and wards on proactive response to storm No. 3 (storm Wipha).
The Deputy Prime Minister requested that specialized agencies accurately assess the scale, intensity, and scope of the storm. Currently, it is assessed that the storm may affect the Northern and North Central regions, with a very large area of influence, stretching from Quang Ninh to Quang Ngai , and even wider due to the impact of the post-storm circulation. Given the urgent developments of storm No. 3, it is necessary to fully mobilize central and local forces and agree on urgent actions immediately after the meeting to promptly prevent, avoid, and effectively respond to the storm.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that after completing the organization of the two-level local government apparatus, provinces and cities need to review and assess the actual level of preparedness to respond to natural disasters, especially before the upcoming storm, to ensure that the post-merger apparatus operates effectively and synchronously in all areas, including flood and storm prevention and control.
"We need to take advantage of the inter-sectoral meeting and the response situation to storm No. 3 to evaluate and improve the organization of the civil defense command apparatus at both the central and local levels, ensuring clear assignment and effective coordination among forces in implementing tasks," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.
Storm No. 3 causes heavy rain and strong winds as soon as it enters the Gulf of Tonkin
According to the report of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, at 9:00 a.m. on July 20, storm No. 3 was about 670 km east of Quang Ninh - Hai Phong, with a strength of level 11. Storm No. 3 is moving quickly, at an average speed of 20 km/h, with its circulation shifting to the south and west. Heavy rain occurred on land as soon as the storm entered the Gulf of Tonkin.
It is forecasted that on the afternoon of July 21, the storm will enter the Gulf of Tonkin with a level 10-11 intensity, gusting to level 14. It will make landfall in the North, reaching Nghe An on July 22, 2025.
The Command Committee for Civil Defense, Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue (PCTT&TKCN) and the Border Guards of localities have notified, counted, and instructed 54,300 vehicles/227,194 people to know the developments and direction of the storm so that they can proactively take precautions.
The total aquaculture area in coastal provinces and cities from Quang Ninh to Nghe An at risk of being affected by storms and floods is 148,834 hectares (55,204 hectares of brackish water shrimp farming, 21,735 hectares of mollusk farming, 72,836 hectares of freshwater aquaculture); 20,154 cages; 3,743 aquaculture watchtowers.
Son La, Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang and Thac Ba lakes are lower than the highest water level before the main flood season.
The amount of water stored in irrigation reservoirs in the Northern region to Ha Tinh is on average about 55% - 87% of the design capacity.
The sea dike and river estuary dike systems of coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa still have 20 key weak dike points and 7 projects under construction.
Deputy Director of the Department of Hydrometeorology Hoang Duc Cuong said that from around July 20-21, the special zones of Bach Long Vi, Co To, Cat Hai... are likely to be greatly affected by strong winds of level 10-11, gusts of level 13-14, and waves of 3-5m high due to storm No. 3.
From around the evening of July 21, coastal waters from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa will have strong winds of level 7-9, waves of 3-5m high. Big waves combined with high tides can cause flooding in low-lying areas along the coast of Quang Ninh to Hai Phong, especially at noon and afternoon on July 21-23.
Due to the wide range of influence of storm No. 3, shifting to the West and South, most of the Northeast region, some places in the Northwest, and the North Central provinces. Directly affected are the provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, coastal provinces of Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa are forecasted to be most affected by the storm. From the evening and night of July 21, on the mainland along the coast of Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa, the wind will gradually increase to level 7-9, gusting to level 10-11; further inland, the wind will be strong at level 6-7, gusting to level 8-9; near the storm center, it will be level 10-11, gusting to level 14.
The Department of Hydrometeorology recommends that coastal provinces in the North ban fishing from 10am on July 21, and in the North Central region from 2pm on July 21; on the night of July 21 and early morning of July 22, storm prevention measures in aquaculture cage areas must be completed.
Storm No. 3 is forecast to cause widespread heavy rain in the North and Thanh Hoa-Ha Tinh provinces from July 21. In particular, in the Northeast and the Northern Delta, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, the rain time from July 21-23, rainfall of 200-350mm, some places over 600mm, other places 100-200mm. There may be heavy rain, 150-200mm/3 hours.
From July 21-24, there is a possibility of a flood on rivers in the North, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, with a flood amplitude of 3-6m. Flood warning for low-lying areas along rivers, urban areas, and densely populated areas.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has increased the issuance of quick bulletins on storm No. 3 to once every hour from 6:00 a.m. on July 20, 2025.
In addition to maintaining the regular monitoring system, the Department of Hydrometeorology will increase monitoring every 30 minutes with island stations in the Gulf of Tonkin from around the afternoon of July 20; increase monitoring every 30 minutes with coastal and mainland stations in the North, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh from around the afternoon of July 21; increase mobile measuring stations in the Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and Hung Yen areas; equip satellite phones for a number of key hydrometeorological stations to ensure uninterrupted communication in situations where the normal telecommunications network is affected or interrupted.
Implement the motto "one commander, one place"
Discussing at the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, said that the Army has proactively deployed synchronously, prepared forces, means and command organizations from the central to local levels to promptly respond to storm No. 3. At the same time, he requested localities to urgently complete the Civil Defense Command Committee according to the 2023 Civil Defense Law and the Decree detailing the 2023 Civil Defense Law to improve the effectiveness of direction, coordination, communication and quick and accurate handling of situations, especially in the context of increasingly complex extreme weather.
Agreeing with this opinion, Lieutenant General Le Van Tuyen, Deputy Minister of Public Security, said that the leadership and command mechanism in natural disaster prevention must follow the motto "one person commanding unification on the spot", the forces on duty, including those reinforced by the central government, must also be under the direct command of local authorities. The Ministry of Public Security is always ready with forces, means, and plans to participate in natural disaster prevention, floods and storms when there is a mobilization order from local Party committees and authorities.
Permanent Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Hai Binh emphasized that the top priority is to ensure the safety of tourists, people, property, cultural and sports institutions, and historical relics. Localities are asked to proactively consider postponing or canceling cultural and entertainment activities that attract large crowds.
Strengthen information and propaganda work on storm situation and response measures through press agencies and grassroots broadcasting systems, promote the role of ward and commune loudspeakers in communicating to people.
Do not let the loss of communication or broken command information repeat.
Reporting to the Deputy Prime Minister, Thanh Hoa leaders said that the locality has mobilized working groups to the grassroots level, prepared plans to evacuate nearly 170,000 people when a red alert is issued, established 166 shock teams in 166 communes, and strictly controlled boats and aquaculture areas. The system of dams, spillways, and rescue equipment has been reviewed and arranged for each stage.
Nghe An has controlled all ships at sea, ensured the safety of 1,061 dams, prepared plans to prevent landslides in mountainous areas and ensured smooth communication in 121 communes.
Chairman of Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee Pham Quang Ngoc said that communes have made plans to evacuate people from dangerous areas and mobilized local forces to support communes at high risk. Inspection and review of key works, power stations, and areas at risk of insecurity have been carried out synchronously.
In Quang Ninh, the province has issued a ban on sailing from 11am on July 20, requiring boats and tourist ships to immediately take shelter in safe areas. The Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee has assigned provincial leaders to directly go to vulnerable areas. The locality pays special attention to ensuring the safety of tourists, aquaculture and fishing areas, river and stream areas and coal mines.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha acknowledged and highly appreciated the proactive, drastic, practical, and grassroots spirit of localities, especially the organization and operation according to the two-level local government model, ensuring people's lives and property in all natural disaster situations.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that localities should continue to carefully review high-risk areas, ensure absolute safety for people and rescue forces; at the same time, maintain on-duty regime, clear information, and be ready to handle any unusual situations that may arise.
Representatives of Viettel, VNPT, and Electricity Corporation reported on preparations, ensuring communications, electricity, and construction safety in the context of approaching storm No. 3.
Viettel said it has completed 50% of the plan to strengthen the disaster prevention network infrastructure, especially deploying backup satellite connections on islands and coastal areas to ensure the maintenance of command information, even when the fiber optic infrastructure is affected.
VNPT has reinforced its telecommunications infrastructure and is ready to share the network connection between the three carriers to maintain coverage. More than 100 satellite stations and mobile broadcasting vehicles have also been deployed to support isolated areas.
The electricity sector confirmed that it has complied with flood discharge procedures, reservoir operations, and promptly handled incidents. Key projects such as the 500kV power line have been inspected, and camps and materials have been secured to ensure no damage occurs.
Continuously updated, full forecast, developments of storm number 3
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stated that storm No. 3 is very strong, has complex developments, moves quickly, but stops for a long time near the mainland, increasing the risk of damage when it makes landfall.
Therefore, specialized agencies must provide complete and accurate information, correctly assess the complexity and danger of the storm, and avoid subjectivity in prevention and control work. Ministries, branches and localities must maintain a 24/7 duty regime, based on continuously updated bulletins from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting to promptly direct and operate.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested localities to immediately review key areas at risk of being affected by the storm, promptly update and adjust response plans. In particular, it is necessary to clearly identify particularly vulnerable areas and high-risk structures, based on landslide, flash flood and flash flood warning maps. At the same time, urgently strengthen the Provincial Civil Defense Command, assigning each member to be in charge of vulnerable areas. The organizational model in some localities such as Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh... is evaluated as good when clearly identifying key areas at the commune level, linking communes to coordinate human resources and materials reasonably.
At the central level, the Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the Ministry of National Defense and media agencies to continuously update information warning of dangerous areas at sea, especially areas where ships operate, ensuring timely information for fishermen to move to safety; inspect the dike system in key areas such as Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nam Dinh - where many dikes are not completed and need urgent repair.
Regional hydrometeorological stations must specifically forecast areas affected by high tides; warn of areas with heavy rain, high risk of flooding, flash floods, landslides (especially in the West of Thanh Hoa and the North of Nghe An), as a basis for localities to specifically identify on the current map, proactively plan to evacuate people from dangerous areas.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that forecasting work must always be ready and proactive on a scientific basis, and absolutely not subjective. The Department of Hydrometeorology directed regional stations to fully publicize forecast data and coordinate with localities to proactively and effectively organize measures to prevent and combat storm No. 3.
"In addition to providing professional data and technical terms, it is necessary to explain clearly and easily so that people can grasp the specifics. If the wind is strong enough, trees can fall, the roof of a level four house can be blown off, people on the street can be swept away by the wind, vehicles can be blown away... only then can people clearly visualize the level of danger and proactively prevent it," the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
In aquaculture areas and simple floating houses, the Deputy Prime Minister directed localities to carefully calculate the plan for forced evacuation if necessary, protecting people's lives is the top priority. The Party Committee and communal authorities must be responsible if they do not strictly implement the request and cause damage to people and property.
Regarding command organization, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the role of on-site management through a clear and flexible mechanism of the Civil Defense Command Committee at the commune and provincial levels. In areas beyond their capacity, localities need to proactively report early, fully and honestly on the status of dikes, materials, forces and infrastructure to have a coordination plan from the Central Government.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Science and Technology and telecommunications enterprises (Viettel, VNPT...) to urgently check the connection of information systems in areas at high risk of isolation such as islands, mountainous areas, remote areas... to avoid a repeat of the situation of losing contact or disrupting command information as in previous natural disaster situations, especially in mountainous areas of Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and coastal areas.
Regarding the damage caused by storms in the North and the Gulf of Tonkin on the afternoon of July 19, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said that the cause was the influence of the tropical convergence zone with an axis passing through the North, combined with the high temperature conditions in the North in the past 3 days (Storm No. 3 circulation has not directly affected the Gulf of Tonkin). A storm capsized the tourist service boat Vinh Xanh 58 (QN-7105) in the Ti Top Island area/Quang Ninh at 3:30 p.m. The Government has issued Official Dispatches No. 114/CD-TTg dated July 19, 2025 and No. 115/CD-TTg dated July 20, 2025 directing the Ministry of National Defense to coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province and relevant ministries, agencies and localities to focus all measures, mobilize forces and means near the area of the ship accident, and at the same time request the implementation of work to overcome the consequences of the accident, organize visits, encourage and support the families of the victims, treat the injured, take care of the funerals of the deceased, and continue to search for the missing. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha directly directed the rescue work at the scene on the night of July 19 and the morning of July 20. The forces mobilized a total of 266 people, vehicles, and equipment to participate in the search and rescue: 18 ships, 18 boats, 3 barges (rescue barges) and accompanying equipment to urgently search and rescue as quickly and effectively as possible. As of the morning of July 20, forces had lifted the ship and pumped water out to continue the search. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha noted that although the storm has not yet made landfall, yesterday, especially in Quang Ninh and many northern provinces and cities, including Hanoi, extreme weather caused thunderstorms and tornadoes, leaving behind heavy damage, typically in Quang Ninh. At the meeting, once again, the Deputy Prime Minister sent his condolences to the victims under treatment, the deceased, as well as their relatives and families. | |
Source: https://baolangson.vn/lam-cho-nguoi-dan-hinh-dung-ro-muc-do-nguy-hiem-cua-bao-so-3-de-chu-dong-phong-tranh-5053728.html
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