Proactive measures to respond to natural disasters, storms and floods

Authorities overcome the consequences of storm No. 3 (2024) in Son Dong commune (Lap Thach).

In recent years, the situation of storms and natural disasters across the country has had many unusual developments, the level of natural disaster risks has increased, greatly affecting people's lives and production development.

In the province, storms and natural disasters also appeared abnormally, contrary to the law, and difficult to predict such as: the widespread hailstorm in November 2006; the historic heavy rain in early November 2008; the storms accompanied by heavy rain in 2012, 2013; and storm No. 3 in 2016 with extremely complex and unpredictable developments.

The storm on June 10, 2020 in Trung My commune, Binh Xuyen district killed 3 people and injured 18 others; the unusually heavy rain from May 22-24, 2022 caused damage of over 800 billion VND.

Most recently, super typhoon No. 3 and historic floods after the storm from September 6 to September 11, 2024 caused heavy losses in human lives and property in the northern provinces, including Vinh Phuc province... Natural disasters have caused heavy losses in human lives and property, especially in agricultural production in the province. Estimated damage caused by natural disasters in the past 10 years in the province is about 2,500 billion VND.

According to the forecast of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the storm situation in 2025 will continue to have many complicated developments. From March to August 2025, it is forecasted that there will be about 6 to 13 storms forming near the East Sea. If including the 2025 storm season, the total number of storms in the East Sea can reach from 16 to 19.

Along with that, there will be widespread heavy rains occurring nationwide with a forecast equivalent to the average of many years, about 20 times. Widespread heavy rains are likely to start from June in the North, then gradually move south and end around December in the Central provinces.

Storms and tropical depressions affecting Vinh Phuc province are usually low-lying, with weakened winds. However, storm circulation can cause heavy rain, flash floods, landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, and urban flooding.

Faced with the above situation, to proactively respond to storms and natural disasters, Vinh Phuc is focusing on directing departments, branches, localities, and functional forces to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement the Central and provincial directives on disaster prevention, control, and search and rescue (PCTT&TKCN).

Promote the dissemination of directives, policies and laws of the State and the province on disaster prevention and control; regularly update and promptly inform about developments of floods, storms, landslides and other natural disasters so that relevant agencies and people can proactively take measures to prevent, combat and respond.

Advise the Provincial People's Committee to develop disaster response plans according to disaster risk levels; key and critical plans at the provincial level; inspect, review, and evaluate the current status of flood prevention and control works, thereby proposing to immediately repair damaged and degraded works to promptly serve flood prevention and control work.

Concentrate all resources, speed up construction progress, especially flood prevention works such as embankments, culverts, dams, overpasses, underground bridges...; strengthen guidance, inspection of construction and organization of implementation of plans, measures to prevent, combat and overcome consequences of natural disasters at all levels.

Proactively deploy measures to ensure safety for dikes, especially at key and vulnerable dike locations; be ready to organize dike protection plans and response plans in the event of storms and major floods, including cases where floods exceed design frequency.

Do a good job of handling violations of the law on dikes and irrigation, promptly prevent and thoroughly handle violations of large-scale material gathering on river banks, illegal construction of works and factories on river banks and encroachment on riverbeds that obstruct flood drainage; acts of encroachment and violations of the protection area of ​​dikes and irrigation works.

Regularly update weather, meteorology, hydrology, natural disasters, dike, dam and other disaster prevention and control works; check, review and plan the procurement of equipment for disaster prevention and control work in the province.

Develop plans and coordinate with all levels, sectors, and functional forces to carry out tasks of responding to natural disasters and searching and rescuing, such as protecting dykes, dams, and rescuing and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters.

Develop plans, scenarios, arrange rescue forces, provide timely support to key areas of dikes, dams, other disaster prevention and control works and help people overcome the consequences of natural disasters.

Fully deploy forces, means, materials and equipment according to the 4-on-the-spot motto, strictly implement the regime of on-duty, standby, and standing ready to respond to natural disasters, promptly and effectively handle natural disasters from the beginning as well as rescue, salvage, and overcome the consequences after storms, natural disasters, etc.

Article and photos: Nguyen Khanh

Source: http://baovinhphuc.com.vn/Multimedia/Images/Id/126726/Chu-dong-cac-bien-phap-ung-pho-thien-tai-bao-lu