I owe you a thank you.

“After the prolonged heavy rains and floods in Central Vietnam, I took almost two weeks off, not wanting to look at the data, satellite images, or forecasting models. The feeling of dread was haunting, especially with those massive clouds constantly rolling inland.” Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy's brief sharing partly illustrates the harsh realities of the “weather forecasting” profession, particularly for an online weather forecaster.

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy is pictured here inspecting the area and providing forecasts and warnings about floods to help the community respond.

October 22nd

"People in low-lying areas need to stockpile essential supplies, not those in higher areas. Buying too much and storing it in the refrigerator means the food will spoil if there's a power outage. Even if it doesn't spoil, people won't use it all, creating shortages!"

October 23rd

"I apologize to the public for the inaccurate rain forecast and assessment of flooding in the Da Nang area that may have caused concern yesterday."

October 28th

"Together we will overcome this great flood. Let's all try our best! If anyone points out any shortcomings in the response or relief efforts, I'm ready to talk to them about the insane amount of rainfall pouring down from the sky. Let's try our best, unite, share, and strive together with our fellow countrymen!"

***

November 22nd

“Our team has reached Hoa Thinh, Phu Yen . We've made it into the village. Half the village is still flooded, but the other half requires us to travel further in by canoe. The elderly have received their first bread after 4 days, and the babies have received their first carton of milk after 4 days. The villagers seem fine. I'm so happy I could cry.”

I'm sure many people haven't read these lines on Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy's Facebook page, Huy Nguyen, or watched his livestream, but no one can remain indifferent to the successive storms and floods that will occur across the country in 2025.

Previously, I often referred to "Mr. Huy" as the weather forecaster because, in my imagination, he was someone with leisure time, older, and with extensive experience. During the days when the whole country was struggling to cope with floods and storms, in addition to forecasts from official channels, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy's information was a reliable and high-quality source of reference. It was high-quality because, besides forecasting through satellite systems, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy was also directly involved in monitoring the storms and floods.

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy, born in 1979 in Hoa Loc commune, Thanh Hoa province, is currently teaching a Master's program in Climate Change at the Vietnam-Japan University, Vietnam National University , Hanoi . He has over 20 years of research experience and is widely known as an expert and consultant on environmental issues, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction both domestically and internationally, especially in disaster warning and extreme weather events.

He shared about the dire circumstances during the storm and floods. He sat down, talked to, and collected phone numbers from each person in Xuan Thanh fishing village, Phu My Dong commune, Gia Lai province. They were poor people whose livelihoods depended entirely on fishing and small-scale fish trading. After returning from sheltering from the storm, they couldn't find their homes, and their boats and fishing gear had all been swept away. There were times when he couldn't sleep for 48 consecutive hours, feeling numb, and all he could do was exclaim, "I'm so scared!" He didn't reply to some messages because he knew that replying wouldn't help them at that moment.

Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy obtained the phone numbers of residents in Xuan Thanh fishing village, Phu My Dong commune, Gia Lai province. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

But his biggest fear was turning warnings into misinformation. Because he understood better than anyone that his personal Facebook account had 1.2 million followers, and even short posts or simple, specific advice like raising furniture, reinforcing roofs, and protecting houses during a storm could affect many people and families.

***

Not only did Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy witness the severe damage, but he also directly participated in rescue efforts, coordinating forces and distributing relief supplies. For example, he connected companies, organizations, and individuals to support localities and people in disaster-stricken areas in planting short-term crops to quickly restore their livelihoods by providing seeds, guiding planting techniques, and guaranteeing the purchase of all products. He also saw that the rice and corn in people's homes were completely soaked, most of them sprouting, making them inedible, but throwing them away would be wasteful and pollute the environment. The most feasible way to "rescue" the wet agricultural products in that situation was to dry them for animal feed. Therefore, he posted addresses of places offering free drying services for the people; he called on animal feed processing factories to buy the produce, helping people salvage something. Furthermore, using his reputation, he posted urgent appeals for donations of notebooks, pens, school supplies, and school bags for students affected by the floods so they could return to school as soon as possible.

Responding to the community's outpouring of support, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy shared: "Honestly, I only spent my time and effort; I didn't even donate a single packet of instant noodles or a bag of rice. I also don't accept monetary donations in any form, so I had to find a more suitable way to do it."

It's clear that, driven by deep concern, he always strives to find solutions to the difficulties faced by the people, from immediate practical needs during storms and floods to long-term, large-scale projects. The more beloved he becomes, the more he has to work. After the storms and floods subside, people want Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy to provide detailed forecasts about rainfall; even simple things like holiday weather.

***

From 2008 to the present, Huy Nguyen's Facebook page has never missed any information about a storm hitting Vietnam. He said: "Initially, I only posted news within my circle of friends to warn each other and in expert groups to exchange professional information, so each status only received a few dozen likes. Later, when I set it to public, the number of my Facebook followers increased rapidly. Technology is better, there is more open-source data, but the instability of the climate system is higher, the number of followers is greater, and my news affects more people, so the pressure is higher. Sometimes I feel like my brain is going to explode and I want to give up..."

Personally, I'm haunted by your words about storms and floods: "I'm so scared." Because every year, the images of devastation after storms and floods, the people weeping and lamenting, fill me with sorrow and bring tears to my eyes. That's why I'm so grateful for the helpful information you've shared.

Internet, I and many others owe you a thank you.

Kieu Huyen

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/no-anh-mot-loi-cam-on-277183.htm