On September 28th, during a government review meeting to evaluate the response to Typhoon Yagi, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan provided an update on the extensive economic and human toll of the storm.

On September 7th, Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Quang Ninh and Hai Phong with winds reaching speeds of 12-14 on the Beaufort scale, followed by heavy rains across northern Vietnam. This severe weather resulted in 344 fatalities and missing persons.

The typhoon significantly damaged infrastructure, with 281,966 houses damaged or unroofed, and 112,034 homes submerged. Additionally, there were 14 incidents involving 500 kV transmission lines and numerous other disruptions, leading to power outages affecting over six million customers, including more than 430 industrial parks.

Agricultural sectors were heavily affected, with 284,472 hectares of rice fields, 61,114 hectares of crops, and 39,188 hectares of fruit trees damaged. The forestry sector saw 189,982 hectares of forests destroyed; aquaculture facilities also suffered considerable losses, with 35,029 hectares of aquafarms and 11,832 fish cages damaged. The livestock sector reported substantial losses, with 44,174 large livestock and 5.6 million poultry perished.

Minister Hoan acknowledged the challenges faced in responding to Typhoon Yagi, including limited and inadequate emergency response plans for widespread and severe natural disasters. The lack of specific and relatable warnings about potential damages contributed to a complacent attitude towards disaster preparedness.

Furthermore, he noted the failure in fully implementing government directives and recommendations for typhoon preparation contributed to unnecessary losses of life and property. Inadequate maintenance of trees and structures and insufficient emergency equipment and infrastructure also exacerbated the situation.

In terms of infrastructure, the resilience of civilian and anti-disaster structures was found to be lacking against the severe conditions brought by the typhoon. Transportation systems, especially in remote and mountainous areas, suffered frequent landslides and severe flooding.

Minister Hoan emphasized the importance of precise and timely weather forecasting and warnings as critical to managing and mitigating the effects of natural disasters. However, he pointed out the deficiencies in the current forecasting systems, particularly concerning the prediction of unprecedented rainfall and flood levels, which need urgent review and improvement.

As of September 27th, Quang Ninh was the most affected province, with damages amounting to 24.876 trillion VND, followed by Hai Phong at 12.249 trillion VND, and other provinces also reporting significant economic losses.

The ongoing assessment and response to Typhoon Yagi's impact underscore the urgent need for enhanced disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience, particularly in light of increasing weather-related challenges.

Tam An