Accurate storm forecasts help reduce losses

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has exerted efforts to improve the accuracy of storm forecasts as exact information helps people minimise losses.

The statement was made by deputy head of the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority Vu Xuan Thanh at a conference in Hanoi on October 25 to look back 20 years since Typhoon Linda hit Vietnam.

Thanh said that in recent years, the quality of storm forecasts was improved, with information about the storm’s developments provided before 72 hours compared with the 24 hours in 1997.

Drastic measures have been taken to raise fishermen’s awareness of following authorities’ directions, while more capital has been poured into building shelter facilities, recovering protection forests and upgrading the dyke system.

Dang Quang Tinh, former director of the Department of Dyke Management under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, noted that huge losses of Typhoon Linda were caused by the subjectivity in disaster prevention and control.

Typhoon Linda hit Vietnam on November 2-3, 1997, affecting 21 southern localities. It claimed 778 lives, left 2,123 missing and 1,232 injured.

The typhoon also made 2,897 boats sunk and 316 others missing, 107,892 houses destroyed and 204,564 houses damaged, and 323,050ha rice paddies inundated. Almost all coastal dykes in the Mekong Delta provinces of Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Tien Giang were damaged.

The asset losses were estimated at nearly 7.2 trillion VND (316.8 million USD).-VNA