HÀ NỘI — Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà, Standing Deputy Head of the National Civil Defence Steering Committee, on Tuesday morning (November 5) chaired an emergency meeting with the provinces and cities of Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Trị, Thừa Thiên–Huế, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Ngãi, Gia Lai, and Khánh Hoà to discuss urgent measures in response to Storm No.13 (Kalmaegi).
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp and Vice Chairman of the Quảng Ngãi Provincial People’s Committee Đỗ Tâm Hiển attended the meeting from the Quảng Ngãi video conference point.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, early on November 5, Storm Kalmaegi entered the East Sea.
By 4 a.m. on November 6, its centre was about 550 km off the coast of Gia Lai Province, with winds reaching level 14 and gusts up to level 17.
The storm is forecast to strengthen further and make landfall between Quảng Ngãi and Đắk Lắk by early November 7, with sustained winds of level 9–10 and gusts up to level 12.
From November 6–7, the storm is expected to bring torrential rain of 300–500mm, and up to 600mm in some areas, from Đà Nẵng to Đắk Lắk.
From November 7–8, moderate to heavy rainfall of 50–150mm, locally exceeding 200mm, is forecast for northern Quảng Trị to Thanh Hoá.
Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trần Đức Thắng assessed that Storm No.13 is very strong, fast-moving, and poses a level-4 disaster risk — the second-highest on Việt Nam’s scale.
Civil defence commands in Huế, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Ngãi, and Đắk Lắk have directed the coordinated operation of inter-reservoir systems on the Hương, Vu Gia–Thu Bồn, Trà Khúc, and Ba river basins to prepare for flood control downstream.
In Quảng Ngãi, Vice Chairman Đỗ Tâm Hiển reported that the province has banned all vessels from going to sea since 7 p.m. on November 5 and required all boats, cages, and aquaculture farms to return to safe shelter before 9 p.m.
Lý Sơn Island and coastal communes are maintaining 24/7 on-duty forces.
The province plans to evacuate more than 26,700 households (nearly 89,400 people) to safe locations, with additional contingency plans for 8,700 households in flood-prone areas and 4,000 households in landslide-risk zones.
At the meeting, Deputy Minister Hiệp warned of a high risk of landslides in western Quảng Ngãi and some eastern communes and urged the province to closely monitor conditions and ensure safe reservoir operations throughout the 2025 rainy season.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy PM Hà stressed the need for precise and continuous updates on the storm’s path and impacts, proactive evacuation in coastal and mountainous areas before November 6–7, and the absolute safety of all vessels by 5 p.m. on November 6.
He also directed Military Zones 4 and 5 to stand ready with personnel and equipment, and instructed ministries to provide timely resources and support to localities to minimise damage from the storm.
M.H
.JPG)
.jpg)
.JPG)
.JPG)
