South Central Coast braces for super typhoon Kalmaegi

Amidst the forecast of super typhoon Kalmaegi (typhoon No. 13) moving with strong winds into the East Sea, many urban areas, fishing villages, and islands in the South Central region are scrambling to deploy response plans.

Video of Border Guard deploying response work to storm Kalmaegi at Gia Lai estuary

Landslides have not subsided, but we are still worried about fierce storms.

On November 4, in Quang Ngai province, many mountainous areas were still isolated due to landslides.

In the Xa Dieu mountain area (Deo Ron village, Son Ha commune), prolonged heavy rain caused serious landslides, burying more than 30m of the main road leading to the village, causing traffic congestion. In the middle of the mountain, a subsidence more than 20cm wide and over 10m long appeared. The whole commune had 8 other landslides with hundreds of cubic meters of rock and soil, and fallen trees obstructing traffic.

Quang Ngai coastal border guards help fishermen carry their boats and fishing gear to higher ground to protect themselves from the storm. Photo: NGUYEN TRANG

“Although the situation of floods and landslides is complicated, the more difficult thing is that storm No. 13 is making landfall from the sea. We are proactively checking all vulnerable residential areas to proactively prepare evacuation scenarios, especially when the storm hits and heavy rain occurs,” said Mr. Nguyen Tung Son, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Son Ha commune.

In Ly Son special zone, Mr. Nguyen Van Huy, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ly Son special zone, said: the locality has urgently held a meeting to deploy civil defense work, requesting the border guards to continue monitoring and notifying ships to move to safe anchorages, avoiding activities in the storm area. The special zone also built a scenario to respond to natural disaster levels, expected wind gusts of level 12-15, natural disaster risk level 4; ready to evacuate 340 households with 998 people living along the coast to safety.

Military forces mobilized vehicles ready to respond to the storm. Photo: VAN VIEN

On the same afternoon, the Military Region 5 working group led by Colonel Vo Van Ba, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Military Region, inspected and directed storm response work in Quang Ngai. The group visited key coastal areas such as Chau Me village, An Chuan, the Defense Command of Region 5 - Duc Pho, the Engineering Company and the Mechanized Reconnaissance Company.

Military Region 5 working group inspects storm response work along the coast of Quang Ngai. Photo: VAN VIEN

Military Region 5 working group checks food and provisions prepared for the storm. Photo: VAN VIEN

Colonel Vo Van Ba ​​requested the Provincial Military Command to closely coordinate with other forces, carefully review key areas, proactively evacuate people, prepare forces, vehicles, and logistics; at the same time, promote the spirit of "serving the people", be ready to help people respond and overcome the consequences after the storm.

Military Region 5 mobilizes vehicles to prepare to respond to storm No. 13. Photo: VAN VIEN

Checking machinery and equipment to prepare for storms and floods. Photo: VAN VIEN

Armored vehicles ready for combat. Photo: VAN VIEN

Activate 24/7 storm response scenarios

On the afternoon of November 4, coastal villages along Quy Nhon city (Gia Lai province) and coastal areas bordering Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces are urgently implementing storm response plans.

Fishermen in coastal villages on the outskirts of Quy Nhon city (Gia Lai) mobilized machinery to lift motorboats ashore to avoid the storm. PHOTO: NGOC OAI

At the Phan Chu Trinh boat anchorage (Quy Nhon ward, Gia Lai province), thousands of fishing boats from all regions move to anchor tightly. To ensure safety, fishermen hire mechanical vehicles and cranes to winch the boats to shore for mooring.

Gia Lai coastal fishermen mobilized machinery and cranes to bring their boats ashore to avoid the storm. Photo: NGOC OAI

On the same afternoon, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee chaired an urgent meeting with 58 coastal communes and wards of the province to prepare for storm Kalmaegi. He emphasized that the storm will have extremely complicated developments, with forecasted great devastation, so localities must be proactive and not be negligent.

At the meeting, the Chairman of the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee requested that localities immediately activate the highest scenario to respond to the storm. "Tomorrow (November 5), we will stop all unnecessary meetings to focus on storm prevention and control," Mr. Pham Anh Tuan emphasized.

Gia Lai province held a meeting to direct response to storm No. 13. Photo: NGOC OAI

Chairman of Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee Pham Anh Tuan requested to resolutely evacuate people to safe places, even by force to ensure absolute safety. "If there is damage to people or property due to subjective reasons or negligence, the leaders of units and localities must take responsibility," said the head of Gia Lai government.

Set up two temporary command posts to respond to storms and floods

On November 4, the Gia Lai Provincial Military Command (CHQS) said that the unit has mobilized more than 1,000 officers and soldiers along with many equipments ready to mobilize in case of emergency situations due to storm Kalmaegi (storm No. 13).

The unit has established two temporary command posts at the Defense Command of Region 1 (Hoai Nhon Nam) and Region 2 (Dak Po), and at the same time maintained a regular command post at the Provincial Military Command to promptly grasp, direct and operate disaster response work.

Gia Lai Provincial Border Guard forces assist fishermen in bringing their boats ashore. Photo: NGOC OAI

On the same day (November 4), the coastal border stations coordinated with the fishing ports of Quy Nhon, De Gi, and Tam Quan to review and arrange safe anchorage areas for boats and ships to avoid the storm; notify and propagate to 1,650 boats and ships with 11,550 workers in the sea areas to clearly understand the location, direction of movement and developments of the storm, and proactively escape from dangerous areas.

Currently, there are still 575 ships with 4,025 fishermen operating at sea, regularly contacted and guided by authorities to move to safe shelters.

NGOC OAI - NGUYEN TRANG - CONG CUONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/ven-bien-nam-trung-bo-cang-minh-ung-pho-sieu-bao-kalmaegi-post821715.html