The tropical depression is moving towards the southern coast of the southernmost province of Ca Mau and is expected to directly affect coastal provinces from Ben Tre to Ca Mau and Kien Giang (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen
Xuan Phuc has urged relevant ministries, agencies and localities to take
drastic measures to cope with potential flooding from a tropical depression
that is developing close to coastal areas.
The tropical depression is moving towards the
southern coast of the southernmost province of Ca Mau and is expected to
directly affect coastal provinces from Ben Tre to Ca Mau and Kien Giang,
according to the National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Centre.
The tropical depression is forecast to produce
winds of up to 60km per hour and cause whirlwinds. Heavy rains of up to 200mm
have already hit some south central provinces from November 1.
Central provinces from Thua Thien-Hue to Binh Thuan
and the central Highlands region are expected to experience heavy rains. They
are warned of possible floods, flash floods and landslides.
Meanwhile, another tropical depression north of
Palawan in the Philippines has winds of up to 60 km per hour near its centre.
It is expected to continue moving westward, gaining strength and possible
turning into a storm.
Because of their movements, south-central and
southern provinces are facing a double tropical depression, the National
Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control announced on
November 1 at an urgent meeting.
The PM asked the National Steering Committee for
Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and relevant agencies to directly
inspect, supervise, accelerate and co-ordinate with localities to effectively
implement concrete measures to mitigate consequences.
Localities in the areas affected by heavy rains
and floods (from Thua Thien-Hue to Khanh Hoa and the central Highlands region)
and areas forecasted to hit by the tropical depression should draw lessons from
the historical floods in 1999 and 2016, keeping close watch over the
development of rains, floods and the tropical depressions and proactively take
preventive measures, the PM said.
The preventive measures should focus on ensuring
safety for ships operating offshore, such as informing and guiding ship owners
on the development of the tropical depressions and banning vessels from
operating offshore, depending on the real conditions of each locality; and
examining and upgrading dyke systems and reservoirs, particularly those in
high-risk areas.
Local authorities are asked to proactively
evacuate people in areas prone to floods and landslides and take measures to
prevent flooding in urban areas, particularly in areas where the APEC meetings
will be held.
A delegation, led by Deputy Chief of the
Secretariat of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention
and Control, Nguyen Duc Quang, worked with the People’s Committee of the Mekong
Delta province of Bac Lieu on measures against the tropical depression.
The delegation then directly examined preventive
measures at high-risk areas in the province.
On the same day, authorities of Tra Vinh, Soc
Trang and Ben Tre went to high-risk areas to inspect and guide preventive
measures and held an urgent meeting to call on all available forces to be ready
in terms of vehicles, materials and human resources to cope with possible
floods and effects of the tropical depression.
Border guards and Natural Disaster Prevention
and Control Committees in cities and provinces from Quang Ngai to Kien Giang on
November 1 morning warned the crews of 51,000 boats about weather developments.-VNA