Hoang Hoa proactively plans to prevent natural disasters

In the 2023 storm season, Hoang Hoa district experienced 20 natural disasters, including 1 storm, 12 severe heat waves, and 7 heavy rains causing many impacts and flooding. At sea, the district had 4 incidents and boat accidents, killing 2 people, injuring 1 person and leaving 1 person missing. The 2024 storm season is at its most worrying time, the district has been proactively implementing many solutions to minimize damage to people and property.

To cope with coastal erosion in the communes of Hoang Truong, Hoang Thanh, and Hoang Phu, Hoang Hoa district has assigned forces to carry out temporary reinforcement measures. Photo: Viet Huong

From May 4, 2024, when the rainy and stormy season had not yet begun, Hoang Hoa district held a conference to deploy tasks of natural disaster prevention, search and rescue and civil defense (PCTT, TKCN & PTDS) with the participation of all communes, towns, departments, branches and relevant units in the district. At the conference, the district drew on many experiences in implementing tasks for 2023, frankly pointing out shortcomings and weaknesses that need to be overcome. At the same time, it deployed work groups and assigned specific tasks to each member of the newly-reformed PCTT, TKCN & PTDS District Command Committee.

Also since the beginning of April, Hoang Hoa has deployed the task of dredging canals and ditches, removing flow blockages in the entire district. With the active participation of 34 communes, towns and Hoang Hoa Irrigation Branch, more than 113km of canals, irrigation ditches and rivers in the area have been dredged, duckweed removed, and aquatic plants removed to clear the flow and drain water when there are floods. Along with that, the district also resolutely directed units to prepare materials for disaster prevention and control according to the "4 on-site" motto assigned by the province. Up to now, the whole district has prepared 2,000m3 of soil, 100m3 of boulders, 100m3 of crushed stone, 100m3 of sand... Many other materials for dike protection have also been gathered by localities in the district, including 7,000 sacks, 4,000 bamboo stakes, 9 tons of straw, 370m2 of B40 mesh and bamboo fence, 74kg of steel ties...

This year's storm season, Thanh Hoa Irrigation Department has reviewed and listed 34 key points and locations of dikes, embankments, and culverts, of which Hoang Hoa district has 4 projects. These are: Ben Xuoi culvert on the right dike of Lach Truong river in But Son town, the East dike of Cung river from K2+150 to K2+330 in Hoang Yen commune, the East dike of Cung river from K5+300 to K5+650 in Hoang Ngoc commune and Phuc Ngu culvert on Hoang Truong sea dike. To ensure safety at these 4 key points, Hoang Hoa district has developed a specific flood prevention and control plan for each key point, assigned forces to guard the dike, prepared materials and response plans, and plans to evacuate people when storms cause incidents.

Hoang Hoa district has 12.5km of coastline and two large estuaries, Lach Hoi and Lach Truong, so disaster prevention work is being proactively implemented.

This August, But Son town and many communes in the district continue to trim trees along the road to ensure safety in case of storms, in order to minimize the situation of fallen trees and broken branches causing harm to people and property. Previously, the district has reviewed the works, especially the works under construction, houses, sewers, and drainage canals to promptly take measures to respond, repair, dredge, and overcome the damage.

In the district, there has been no record of a super typhoon for a long time, but the locality has completed the development of hypothetical situations and response plans. Accordingly, when hydrometeorological agencies forecast a very strong storm, the district will deploy the evacuation of people living within 200 to 500m from the coast with 550 households/2,134 people and organize centralized evacuation of 242 households/1,050 people. In the case of an impending super typhoon, the district will organize an emergency evacuation of 496 households/2,152 people and organize centralized evacuation of 64 households/285 people living within 500m or more from the coast. In addition, communes and towns with residents living outside the dike such as Hoang Xuan, Hoang Phuong, Hoang Giang, Hoang Cat, Hoang Xuyen... when there is a flood, the river water level is alerted from level 2 or higher, the district also has an evacuation plan to ensure safety. The district also builds scenarios for dike overflow and dike breakage on Cung River, Ma River, Lach Truong River with response solutions when there are very heavy rainstorms and super storms.

Ensuring safety for people and vehicles at sea is identified by Hoang Hoa district as an important task in the work of natural disaster prevention and control. Currently, the district has more than 900 large and small fishing vessels with more than 3,000 people regularly participating in fishing at sea. In addition to safety tasks, the district has arranged shelters when storms make landfall. Accordingly, the Dong Rom natural harbor in Hoang Chau commune, the raft anchorage in Hoang Thanh commune, along Cung river deep inland in Hoang Phu commune... are arranged as safe shelters for ships in the area.

To synchronously deploy solutions, the District Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue and Disaster Prevention has assigned specific tasks to each member, in which the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is assigned as the standing office to preside over, monitor, connect members, and advise the district to promptly deploy solutions and tasks for disaster prevention, search and rescue and disaster prevention in 2024.

Article and photos: Linh Truong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/hoang-hoa-chu-dong-phuong-an-phong-chong-thien-tai-223005.htm