Thanh Hoa and Nghe An face major floods, proactively evacuate people to safety

The Ca River water level has risen above alert level 3, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has requested Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces to proactively review and urgently evacuate people in low-lying areas, riverside areas at high risk of flooding, and areas at high risk of landslides and flash floods to safety.

Late on the evening of July 22, the Minister of Agriculture and Environment sent a telegram to the People's Committees of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces and the ministries of National Defense, Public Security, Construction, Industry and Trade, and Science and Technology, regarding emergency response to floods.

The dispatch stated that due to the impact of storm No. 3, on July 22, there was very heavy rain in the Ca River basin, causing flooding above alert level 3 in the upper reaches of the Ca River. It is forecasted that the lower reaches of the Ca River will reach alert level 3; the level of natural disaster risk due to flooding is level 3.

To proactively respond to heavy rain and floods, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment requests ministries, branches, and Chairmen of the People's Committees of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces to closely monitor the developments of rain and floods, and promptly inform authorities at all levels and people to proactively prevent and avoid them.

Heavy rains have caused flooding in many residential areas in Thanh Hoa province. Photo: Thanh Hoa Newspaper and Radio - Television.

Proactively organize the urgent evacuation of people in low-lying areas, riverside areas at high risk of flooding, areas at high risk of landslides and flash floods to safe places. Organize patrols, guard, deploy flood prevention plans, ensure safety according to the alarm level; prepare forces, materials and means to handle dike incidents at the first hour.

Organize forces to guard, control, support, and guide to ensure safe traffic for people and vehicles, especially at culverts, spillways, deep flooded areas, fast-flowing water areas, areas where landslides have occurred or are at risk of landslides.

Localities must resolutely not allow people and vehicles to pass through if safety is not ensured, and avoid unfortunate human losses due to carelessness and subjectivity; arrange forces, materials and means to overcome incidents, and ensure smooth traffic on main traffic routes when heavy rain occurs.

Implement flood prevention plans and ensure dyke safety. Organize operations and implement plans to ensure the safety of reservoirs and downstream areas, especially small hydroelectric reservoirs, important irrigation reservoirs, and projects under construction; arrange permanent forces to operate and regulate and be ready to handle possible situations.

According to the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention, as of 5 p.m. on July 22, 79 houses in Nghe An had their roofs blown off due to the impact of storm No. 3 (storm Wipha).

Regarding agriculture, according to statistics, more than 107,200 hectares of rice have been flooded (Hung Yen 26,000 hectares; Ninh Binh over 74,000 hectares, Thanh Hoa 7,200 hectares). These provinces are operating pumps to drain water and prevent flooding.

Thanh Hoa province was widely affected by heavy rain that lasted for many hours continuously. On the afternoon of July 22, the province recorded hundreds of residential areas in low-lying areas in the delta and coastal areas being deeply flooded.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Xa-hoi/thanh-hoa-nghe-an-doi-mat-lu-lon-chu-dong-so-tan-khan-cap-nguoi-dan-den-noi-an-toan-i775656/