People should stay indoors from this Saturday due to the extensive circulation radius of the super typhoon, said Pham Duc Luan, director of the Department of Dike Management and Natural Disaster Prevention at an urgent meeting on response measures against Yagi in Hanoi on September 5.
Yagi, when it slams into the mainland, will bring heavy rain and strong winds, while many people are currently using corrugated metal roofs and large advertising boards, explained the official, adding there will also be a high risk of trees falling during the height of the natural disaster.
Luan requested the evacuation and relocation of residents in the low-lying, coastal areas, and those living in semi-permanent houses that may collapse during Yagi’s landfall, including areas near river mouths and coastal zones.
He also recommended school closures in areas to be directly impacted by Yagi, depending on the actual situation.
Currently, there are many industrial zones and large factories along the coastal areas. If they are not reinforced by this afternoon and tomorrow, it may be too late, Luan cautioned, citing sources that Yagi is the strongest typhoon to hit northern Vietnam in the past 20 years.
He warned about a high risk of severe flooding in urban areas as Yagi is forecast to dump 200-350mm or even 500mm of rain on northern Vietnam over 24 hours. He requested localities to focus on draining water before the typhoon makes landfall.
For the northern mountainous region, the official recommended that localities deploy emergency response teams to inspect residential areas along rivers, streams, low-lying areas with high risks of flooding, flash floods, and landslides, and come up with plans to relocate and evacuate residents to safe locations.
He reminded them to check and ensure the safety of reservoirs and downstream areas, particularly small hydroelectric reservoirs, and vulnerable irrigation reservoirs; put forces on standby to manage and address any issues; and implement safety measures for mining operations and mineral extraction sites, especially in Quang Ninh province.
Yagi strengthened into a super typhoon level on September 5 afternoon, with winds gusting 201kph near its centre, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.
The super typhoon is forecast to move into the Gulf of Tonkin on September 6 morning and slam into the mainland in the north-eastern and north-central regions in the early morning of September 7.
Due to its force, Yagi will certainly cause strong winds, storm surges, and high waves at sea and along the coast, as well as strong winds and widespread heavy rain on land.