As many as 13 tropical storms will reach the East Sea with half of them
likely to hit Vietnam, Bui Minh Tang, Director of the National Hydro
Meteorological forecast centre.
During a meeting to review flood
prevention and rescue activities in 2012, Tang warned that this year’s
rainy season would see many dangerous developments.
He urged
localities to take action to prevent strong storms, flash floods and
landslides in the northern mountainous regions and Central Highlands.
Drought in the central and southern provinces will likely ease by the end of August, the director said.
Four of the 10 storms that hit the East Sea last year caused
severe consequences to Vietnamese people and property, according to the
National Steering Committee for Flood and Storms Prevention and Control.
Natural disasters resulted in 258 people dead and missing and
wounded 408 others. Economic loses reached about 16 trillion VND (762
million USD).
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao
Duc Phat, who is also the Head of the National Steering Committee for
Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, asked relevant agencies and
localities to ensure that rescue equipment was available and that
enterprises and households were aware of contingency plans for floods.
Irrigation projects such as dykes and reservoirs, in addition to
electricity and communication systems, must also be strengthened before
the rainy season came, Phat said.-VNA