Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam hasexerted efforts to improve the accuracy of storm forecasts as exact informationhelps people minimise losses.
The statement was made by deputy head ofthe Vietnam Disaster Management Authority Vu Xuan Thanh at a conference inHanoi on October 25 to look back 20 years since Typhoon Linda hit Vietnam.
Thanh said that in recent years, thequality of storm forecasts was improved, with information about the storm’s developmentsprovided before 72 hours compared with the 24 hours in 1997.
Drastic measures have been taken to raisefishermen’s awareness of following authorities’ directions, while more capitalhas been poured into building shelter facilities, recovering protection forestsand upgrading the dyke system.
Dang Quang Tinh, former director of the Departmentof Dyke Management under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,noted that huge losses of Typhoon Linda were caused by the subjectivity in disasterprevention and control.
Typhoon Linda hit Vietnam on November 2-3,1997, affecting 21 southern localities. It claimed 778 lives, left 2,123missing and 1,232 injured.
The typhoon also made 2,897 boats sunk and316 others missing, 107,892 houses destroyed and 204,564 houses damaged, and323,050ha rice paddies inundated. Almost all coastal dykes in the Mekong Deltaprovinces of Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre andTien Giang were damaged.
The asset losses were estimated at nearly7.2 trillion VND (316.8 million USD).-VNA