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Archive for October 14th, 2010|Daily archive page

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Flood surges in northern provinces

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:38 pm

The engineer force resume installation of Duong floating bridge on July 27. (Photo: vnexpress.net)Storm-triggered heavy rains and floods caused serious traffic jams and damaged many construction projects in northern provinces on July 26.

In the early morning, rainfall of 63-67 mm was recorded in parts of Lao Cai Province, including Van Ban and Bat Xat districts. The torrential rain destructed many rural infrastructures, injuring three people.


The Hoang Lien Son 1 line was blocked by scree, which slid from the mountain, causing a serious traffic jam.


In Yen Bai Province, there were 13 more houses submerged by rising Hong River’s water level, increasing the number of houses flooded by tropical storm Chanthu’s gyre to 145.


However, according to the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center, floods left the storage tanks of hydropower plants completely full, including Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, and Thac Ba, ensuring that power generators were running at full capacity. This helped to ease the tension caused by a shortage of power in the north, as well as in the country in general.


In related news, many streets in the northern gate of Hanoi experienced major congestion after the Duong floating bridge had to be removed because water levels in the Duong River surged too high. Despite the efforts of traffic police, traffic jams continued to prolong commutes. Local residents said after the floating bridge removal, relevant streets have been jammed between 6am and 10am and from 4pm to 8pm each day.


The Hanoi Transport Department said the engineer force started to install the Duong floating bridge to restore traffic order in the area in the evening of July 26. However, they had just finished 50 percent of the installation as of 6pm, as the river’s water level remained high. The engineers had to call a halt the project in order to monitor the water level.

Source: SGGP

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Blazing heat set to overwhelm northern Vietnam

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:37 pm

Northern and northern central regions of Vietnam will experience hot and muggy weather for the first few days of this week, said the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center.


Meanwhile, the southern and Central Highlands regions will see showers with temperatures hovering around 30-33 degrees Celsius in some areas.


The southern central region alone might experience heavy rains, triggered by an inter-tropical convergence zone, in the next four to five days.


Over the last few days, the sweltering weather has already covered northern provinces as a westerly hot low-pressure system has returned.

Source: SGGP

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Floods and storms trigger landslides, threaten central residents

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:37 pm

Residents along coastal and riverside areas in the central region are concerned as their lives and properties could be swallowed up at any time by torrential waters this flood and storm season.

A house on the Gianh Riverbank endangered by land erosion in Quang Binh Province (Photo: SGGP)

Seawaters annually eroded from 50-70 meters more than normal in Thach Bang Commune, Loc Ha District, Ha Tinh Province in recent years, said the Thach Bang People’s Committee chairman Tran Dinh Nhu. In addition, the intrusion of salt and sand also neutralized dozens of hectares of farmland.


Along the commune’s Xuan Hai Beach, local residents have had to construct restaurants farther inland because the old ones, closer to the water’s edge, have been devastated.


In the neighboring commune of Thach Kim, the embankment is just 5-10 meters away from the seawater edge, while it was 200-300 meters away only five years ago.


In Quang Binh Province, high tides collapsed nines houses in Nhan Trach Commune of Bo Trach District in the middle of July. Bac Dinh Village’s residents said that seawaters have swept away half their village’s land so far.


About 1,000 people living along rivers and beaches in the province face the dangers inherent to land erosion. Meanwhile, landslides have swallowed over 500 kilometers of riverbanks, affecting Tuyen Hoa District most severely.


Things are no better in Thua Thien-Hue Province, as Phu Thuan Commune’s beach has invaded farther inland, collapsing dozens of houses in recent years.


Ngo Thi Gai from An Duong Village said that her family has lived in fear, as most of her garden has been swallowed by seawater, while the house has been severely damaged.


Hundreds of other households are also suffering similar outcomes in Phu Vang, Phu Loc, Phong Dien and Quang Dien districts.


In the mountainous district of Tra Bong in Quang Ngai Province, over 60 households with about 308 residents of Tra Lac Village are nervous because of a new cleft in Ca Bot Mountain that measures 70 meters in length and is up to one meter in width at some spots.


The village patriarch Dinh Van Nho said that the clefts occurred a few years ago, concerning local residents, but they do not know where to evacuate and are still awaiting State assistance.


In Nghe An Province, Hung Nhan Commune of Hung Nguyen District annually losses about five hectares of production area due to land erosion. Hundreds of households have to evacuate annually during flood season.


Waiting for Government’s assistance


To help coastal residents in Thach Bang Commune of Ha Tinh Province to cope with land erosion, local authorities have mobilized inhabitants to plant casuarinas along beaches and asked relevant authorities for measures to cope with the issue.


Meanwhile, people in Phu Thuan Commune of Thua Thien-Hue Province are still waiting for a resettlement policy to be handed down by provincial authorities.


The Government has assisted Quang Ngai Province withVND10 billion (US$526,000) to build resettlement areas for mountain residents in landslide-prone areas. However, the construction has not been completed on schedule, while the flood season has moved in, placing residents in a dangerous situation.

Source: SGGP

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Evacuation measures only partially effective for annually flooded central region

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:37 pm

A host of central residents relocated to resettlement areas have lamented that the policy has left them in less than ideal circumstances, as they now lack land for agricultural production.

Hundreds of families who live close to the sea wait to be resettled in Quy Nhon town, Binh Dinh Province (Photo: SGGP)

In the historic flood of 1999, which severely devastated the central region, the Vu Gia riverside village Phuong Trung was eliminated in Dai Quang Commune, Dai Loc District, Quang Nam Province. The village residents had nothing left as their houses together with other properties were swept into the sea.


Local authorities then decided to build a new village on a hill, 3 kilometers from the old village, to evacuate residents without any plan for farming production. Over the past ten years, people there have lived a difficult life.


Le Thi Kim, 62-year-old woman said that she is single but has to bring up her brother’s two orphaned children and her 86-year-old mother. Everyday, she leaves the village early in the morning to seek any work, including doing housework and taking care of other children in order to buy food.

“I am old now and just wish to have a garden to cultivate rice and vegetables,” she said.


Another village inhabitant named Pham Van Vinh said that he could not raise pigs or chicken as they all die due to the sweltering weather. He said his family earned VND30 million from breeding and selling groceries each year when they lived in the old village.


Also after the 1999 flood, 18 households in Ha Lac Village, Quang Loi Commune, Quang Dien District, Thua Thien-Hue Province were evacuated to a resettlement area. After over 10 years, they continue to experience a rough existence without electricity, paved roads, fresh water or schools. As a result, 14 of the 18 households have left their resettlement homes to return the old village or have traveled to other provinces and cities to earn livelihoods.


Hundreds of resettlement areas have been built in Thua Thien-Hue since 2005, in response to floods and storms. However, several residents have left the new houses to return to their old homes. As a result, the number of people that must evacuate when floods and storms occur still tops 80,000 in the province each year.


Resettlement


Hundreds of tottery houses are found dangerously close to waves that crash along the beaches in Hoai Nhon, Phu My and Phu Cat districts and Quy Nhon town of Binh Dinh Province.


One year after his house was swallowed by ocean tides, Vo Ngoc Van’s family, in Nhon Ly Commune of Quy Nhon town, is still awaiting resettlement.


Van’s house fell into the sea due to heavy rains caused by a tropical low-pressure system that swept through the area in May of 2009. His family has had to live with relatives. He said that local authorities have promised to arrange resettlement for his family, but one year has gone by and they have done nothing.


Most households said they agreed to evacuate from landslide prone areas to new resettlement areas, according to Pham Dung, who resettled at An My Commune in Phu My District. However, life remains difficult for them; to build a new house costs tens of millions, while the State only assists each family with VND10 million (US$526).


Binh Dinh People’s Committee has arranged resettlement for nearly 2,300 households in the province. However, they reported difficulties implementing this plan, due to a lack of capital.


Effective solution


The first flood-prevention houses in the central region were built in Ngu Hanh Son District of Danang City. Each two-story home was built solidly on 300 square meters and include a bathroom, reading room, kitchen and container that can hold 1,000 liters of fresh water.

A flood-prevention house in Ngu Hanh Son District, Danang City (Photo: SGGP)

Last year, when local people rushed to these houses to avoid floods, rescuers easily delivered rice and instant noodles to each house using motorboats.


The Central Natural Disasters Relief Fund has sponsored construction of 21 works to prevent natural disasters in low-lying areas in 10 central provinces and cities, said the fund director Nguyen Dang Lam.


The houses are used not only for avoiding floods, but also for other activities including musical performances, medical checks and treatment and teaching.


The fund will continue financing the building of another 30 works, including 15 flood-prevention houses in the region this year, Lam revealed.


On the other hand, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai from Quang Binh Province said that the State should provide residents with loans to rebuild or reinforce their houses, which would ease the local authorities’ pressure to evacuate residents during storm and flood seasons.

Source: SGGP

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Flash floods hit Sa Pa

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:36 pm

A flash flood prompted, by torrential rains, damaged or swept away several houses and injured two people in the northwestern province of Lao Cai at 7:30pm August 4.

Rescue forces help residents rebuild houses in Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province

After the nearly one hour downpour, flood waters abruptly flowed down from Ham Rong Mountain and overwhelmed Sa Pa Town, said Hau A Lenh, Sa Pa District Party committee secretary. The mountain is located in the center of town.


This is the second time the province has been inundated by flash floods this year.


During the flood, primary school teacher Luong Thi Min, 50, was swept away as she was cutting grass near Nhu Spring, said Ma Quang Trung, director of Lao Cai Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.


Search and rescue forces found the woman’s body the next morning, according to a Dan Tri Newspaper report.


Lao Cai authorities moved to urgently evacuate 492 households from Van Ban, Bao Yen, Bat Xat and Sa Pa Districts.

Source: SGGP

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East Sea choppy from coming tropical depression

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:36 pm

A tropical low-pressure system will leave the Philippines’ waters, heading for the East Sea in the next one or two days, said the national weather bureau. It is then expected to move westward at a speed of 15-20 kilometers an hour.


The northern part of the East Sea will be rough and experience rainstorms and strong winds, the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center has forecasted.


Affected by the depression, there are currently thunderclouds over the East Sea, which are slowly heading towards to the waters off from Khanh Hoa to Ca Mau, causing showers and thunderstorms for those southern provinces.

Source: SGGP

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Tornado leaves 70 homes toppled and roofless in Ca Mau

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:36 pm

Tornado with strong winds, heavy rains and high ocean tides caused much of damage for people in the southern end province of Ca Mau August 14.

Army forces help residents repair and rebuild houses after a tornado lashes Ngoc Hien and Tran Van Thoi districts, Ca Mau Province August 14 (Photo: SGGP)

According to the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the tornado destroyed 23 homes and blew 46 others’ roofs away while another was trucked by lightning in two coastal districts of Ngoc Hien and Tran Van Thoi.


Meanwhile, giant waves sank Nguyen Van Xe’s fishing boat together with seven fishermen into the sea, destinies of these unlucky men have yet known. Elsewhere the border army forces saved 13 other fishermen who fell into the sea during the fierce tornado.


High ocean tides severely engulfed and sent parts of 1,500 meters of the sea dyke tumble in the westward Ca Mau Province.


The same day afternoon, a two-hour downpour inundated streets under 0.2-0.5 meters of floodwaters, causing the worst traffic jam in many years for Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in Can Tho City.


Thousands of motorcycles lined up along one kilometer of the street. The downgraded drainage system together with narrow alleys along the street’s sides has been blamed for worsening the flooding.


In the Central Highlands, a tornado raged through Xuan Tho Commune in Da Lat City August 13, leaving about one billion dong in loss.


The one hour tornado, which swept through the commune’s Xuan Thanh Village, uprooted over 500 pines and crushed a truck.


It also crumpled 700 square meters of glasshouses and ravaged much of farming area. Local residents reported that was the worst ever tornado in the area.

Source: SGGP

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Tropical depression to bring rains

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:35 pm

Affected by a tropical low pressure zone, which was on the northern part of Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands as of 7am August 19, the waters off the central coastal area between Danang City and Binh Thuan Province will become rough with rains, the national weather bureau said Thursday.

A tropical low pressure zone will bring medium to heavy rains to the central and southern central regions

In the mainland, central and southern central provinces will see medium to heavy rains, some places might experience thunderstorms, said the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center.


The center said residents should keep watch of tornados and strong winds during the thunderstorms.


The tropical depression will slowly move westward at a speed of 5-10 kilometers an hour in the next 24 hours, the center forecasted.

Source: SGGP

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Typhoon looms on East Sea

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:35 pm

The tropical low pressure zone on East Sea is likely to turn into a storm which might approach the waters off the central coast, the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center has said.

The national weather bureau’s chart shows the tropical depression’s path on August 22

On Sunday afternoon, the tropical depression laid centered 16.1 degrees north latitude and 113.5 degrees east longitude, about 160 kilometers east-southeast off Hoang Sa (Spartly) Islands.


The maximum sustained winds near the zone’s eye reached 39-61 kilometers an hour.


Affected by the tropical depression, the country yesterday saw showers.


According to the centre deputy director Le Thanh Hai, The tropical depression would move westward at 15 kilometers an hour to intensify into a storm.


On Monday afternoon, the storm eye will be at 170 kilometers southeastward off China’s Hainan Island.


Areas on the storm’s path will see winds up to 89-102 kilometers an hour.


Vietnam will continue experience rains on wide areas this afternoon.

Source: SGGP

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Mindulle set to slam into central coast

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 6:35 pm

The tropical depression on East Sea has intensified into a tropical storm with international name ” Mindulle “, which is forecast to approach the northern central coast Tuesday afternoon.

Central residents move a boat to safety to stave off damage by the coming typhoon Mindulle (Photo: SGGP)

On the day’s early morning, Mindulle ( the third storm of Vietnam this year ), was centered just 80 kilometers east off the central coast. It was moving westward at 15 kilometers per hour and caused torrential winds up to 75-102 kilometers an hour.


Areas around the typhoon’s center experienced gusts up to 103-133 kilometers an hour.


According to Bui Minh Tang, director of the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center, the powerful storm will cause  floodings  in the provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri, bringing downpours to the areas in the next few days.


The storm will continue causing heavy rains, which have occurred over the past few days  in the central region, Minister of the Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said at a meeting held in Hanoi yesterday to discuss measures to deal with the third storm.


Localities should be ready  to cope with the storm devastation, Minister Phat warned, adding they should keep watch of inundation in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous regions.


Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, who also chaired  the meeting, ordered local authorities prepare food and medicines ready to conduct relief aids in places, prone to be stranded by floodwaters.


Affected by the typhoon, central coastal provinces on Monday evening had medium to heavy rains with the average rainfall of 500-100mm, according to the national weather service.


Meanwhile, the flood and storms prevention center for central and Central Highlands regions, reported that as of Monday afternoon, about 1,214 fishing boats with nearly 9,300 fishermen were still at sea in the central region.


Central farmers have raced to harvest the summer-autumn rice to avoid storm-triggered floods.


In Quang Ngai Province’s Mo Duc District, residents have harvested over 700 hectares of rice on Monday’s noon while over 100 hectares in Duc Phong Commune were still submerged by flooding due to continuous rains in the past few days.


In Thua Thien-Hue Province, thousands of hectares of rice have also been inundated in floodwaters. Local residents have harvested 8,000 of about 26,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice fields.

Source: SGGP