According to the report released at a Friday meeting held by the committee, natural disasters caused estimated economic damage of about VND 8.20 trillion (USD338 million), a decrease of 58 percent compared to last year. The death toll also showed a fall of five percent against last year.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Hoang Phuc Lam, said that the country has so far faced eight storms and tropical depressions, as well as some severe heat waves with temperatures in some places reaching up to 44.2 degrees Celsius.
"Heavy rains have taken place in the central region, with 35 provinces and cities affected by floods and landslides," he said. "Some of the major disasters included a landslide at the Bao Loc Pass in Lam Dong Province, killing four people; a landslide in Dalat City killing two and injuring five others; and a flash flood killing nine people in Sapa Town and Bat Xat District of Lao Cai Province."
Throughout the year, the centre has implemented a comprehensive set of measures to enhance the detailed level of flood and landslide warning messages, focusing on applying technologies to determine more detailed rainfall thresholds. Notably, a real-time warning information system is being integrated into its related forecasting.
