Floods woes continue for central region
Severe floods are expected as the river water level is rising swiftly in the central provinces of Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces, which were devastated by historic floods earlier this month.
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Water from the floods in the beginning of the month has yet to flow out in several remote areas in the provinces, resulting in repeated floods in the locality.
According to a report by commune authorities in this province’s Ba Don district, the latest flood submerged their residency on October 31 morning. A dyke broken and locals attempted to reinforce it but failed, and floodwater from Gianh River poured into the communes again.
Nguyen Van Hoa, head of Quang Hai commune, said local authorities managed to evacuate residents of a village in the lowest-lying area in the district.
Flooding approximately one metre deep filled communes in Tuyen Hoa and Bo Trach districts. In Quang Trach, floods swept away a floating bridge, isolating 1,000 residents in the district.
All schools in the flooded areas were shut down.
Railway authorities in the province deployed trucks to assist trains travelling through the flooded areas. The trains were forced to travel at an average speed of 5km per hour.
In Ha Tinh, the three lowest communes of Huong Khe district, which were hit hardest by the early October flood, were flooded again today. The water also blocked roads leading to the communes, isolating them even further.
Hoang Xuan Tan, head of Phuong Minh commune, said all residents were forced to travel by boats. Several houses were flooded right after locals attempted to clean them up following the last flood.
The district agriculture sector reported that 75,000ha of farming land cultivated by local farmers was affected again by the new flood.
Traffic has also been blocked in several areas in this province’s Ky Anh district. Education authorities ordered 16,000 students remain at home to ensure safety.
Continuous heavy rainfall during the weekend has made water in Quang Binh’s Gianh River and Ha Tinh’s Ngan Sau River rise swiftly.
Water released from the Ho Ho power plant, which is located between the two localities, has worsened the situation. Fortunately, the release is being made in a low and gradual volume, unlike the unannounced release of a huge volume of water the last time.
The National Centre for Meteorology and Hydrology Forecast late last week warned central provinces of flood risk due to the heavy rains. According to the centre, water in all the rivers in Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue is reaching an alarmingly high level.
