VietNamNet Bridge – Floods this year have killed 235 people besides property losses of more than VND37.65 trillion (US$1.7 billion), the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said at a web conference last weekend on flood control in the central region.

Floods this year have killed 235 people besides property losses of more than VND37.65 trillion (US$1.7 billion) -- File photo

The conference, chaired by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi, was attended by representatives of nine provinces and related ministries and departments.

According to the committee, the central provinces and Central Highlands have suffered the prolonged drought and five massive floods since mid-October. Total rainfalls in the past two months in the region were greater than the whole-year average. Especially, rainfalls in some areas reached more than 2,500mm such as Tra My in Quang Nam Province and Minh Long in Quang Ngai Province.

Floods since mid-October have left 111 dead and missing, 121 injured, more than 316,000

houses damaged, more than 42,800 hectares of rice fields and 39,000 hectares of other crops damaged with total property losses estimated at more than VND8.57 trillion. Particularly, the floods since last week have left 15 dead and missing.

Heavy rain has led rivers to swell to critical levels. In some rivers, their water levels have swollen to all-time highs, such as the Ve River, the Kone River and the Ba River. Reservoirs of hydropower plants have had to be discharged.

Facing the critical situation, the Prime Minister has assigned related ministries and departments to establish inspection teams to cope with flood, ensure the safety of reservoirs and dams, check flood discharge and overcome consequences of natural disasters.

According to the national weather center, this year’s storm season is forecast to end later than usual. There may be a storm or tropical depression this month, directly affecting the central and southern provinces.

The center also forecast that rainfalls in the central, Central Highlands and southern provinces from late December to February 2017 will be 10-30% higher than the average in the past years while rainfalls in the northern provinces will be 10-40% lower than the average.

Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai and Quang Nam provinces reported that they have faced heavy floods in recent days. Reservoirs of hydropower plants exceeded their design capacities so they have to discharge water to ensure safety.

Binh Dinh Province has seen the worst flooding this time with 26 communes completely isolated, seriously affecting the livelihoods of local residents and causing severe damage to infrastructure, said Ho Quoc Dung, chairman of Binh Dinh Province.

Lan Nhi

Source: SGT