Mass evacuations in the pipeline as Maon makes landfall
VOV.VN - Northern mountainous localities of Vietnam have planned to evacuate as many as 135,000 residents from coastal and low-lying areas in the event that tropical storm Maon causes heavy downpours that are likely to trigger flashfloods and landslides.
Tropical storm Maon, the third of its kind to form in the East Sea, slammed into China’s Guangdong at noon on August 25 and was downgraded into a tropical low depression.
Despite losing its strength, Maon remains powerful, with winds gusting 88kph near its centre. Part of the storm is expected to sweep through northern localities of Vietnam, causing strong winds and torrential rain in the evening on August 25 and the following day.
In an urgent telegram, the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has requested northern coastal and mountainous localities to call in fishing vessels, reinforce public works and develop resident evacuation plans in flood and landslide prone areas.
Localities that could be affected by the storm reported they had worked out plans to move as many as 135,000 residents from low-lying areas that are most vulnerable to flashfloods and landslides in case Maon dumps heavy rain.
Border guards of provinces stretching from Quang Ninh to Nghe An said they had fired signal flares to call for ships to return to safe shelters. Coastal localities such as Hai Phong and Quang Ninh had banned fishing vessels and cruiseships from setting sail.
