At a command meeting on the afternoon of September 22 to address typhoon No. 9, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep stated that by the time the storm entered the East Sea, wind levels had already surpassed level 11, with gusts exceeding level 17. Compared to historic storms like typhoon Yagi, this typhoon's winds over the East Sea were significantly stronger.

“Imagine this: when typhoon Yagi reached the East Sea, it was at level 16 with gusts up to level 18. But now, typhoon No. 9 is already producing gusts over level 17 as it nears landfall - expected between 2 to 3 a.m. on September 23. This makes it the strongest storm ever recorded in the East Sea,” Hiep said.

According to the scenario developed by the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, typhoon No. 9 will begin directly affecting the region early on September 23, moving gradually into the Gulf of Tonkin and making landfall on September 25.

Forecasts show that upon landfall, the storm may sustain wind speeds of levels 9–10, with gusts reaching levels 12–13, possibly even level 14. As it moves further inland, it could still retain wind levels of 8–9, with gusts at levels 11–12. However, this is only a 72-hour forecast and may lack high accuracy.

Strict control over fishing boats and aquaculture cages

Deputy Minister Hiep emphasized that one of the most urgent issues is the strict control of boat activity, particularly in the North Central region and the Gulf of Tonkin, which have high concentrations of fishing vessels.

Therefore, he requested close coordination among the Border Guard, Transport authorities, and the Fisheries Department to ensure that no boats set sail, even if an official ban has not been issued yet.

“From this point forward, all boats going to sea must be monitored. There should be no cases where we cannot track their location or maintain communication,” he stressed.

In addition, offshore aquaculture cages must also be closely supervised. The North Central and Northern regions currently have around 165,000 hectares of fish cages in dense clusters. These must be strictly monitored, with protective plans activated early to avoid major economic losses.

Special attention to hydropower and irrigation reservoirs

Concerned about the potential for heavy rainfall coinciding with nearly full reservoirs, Hiep directed the Department of Water Resources, Vietnam Electricity, and local authorities to closely monitor water flow and prepare safe flood discharge plans.

As of now, under the inter-reservoir operation protocols, reservoirs, including low-lying irrigation ones, have begun refilling since September 20. This means most are nearly full.

Specifically, the Da River basin has only about 5 meters left before reaching full capacity. The Son La reservoir has just over 1 meter remaining, Thac Ba has 48 cm, and Tuyen Quang has only 2 meters to spare. The Tuyen Quang reservoir could be full in just a few hours if necessary, making management extremely difficult.

“Irrigation reservoirs in the region are currently operating at 80–90% capacity, essentially full. If the current storm scenario plays out as predicted, we must immediately consider early flood discharge and flexible operations,” said Hiep, emphasizing reservoir safety, especially in the North.

Even if typhoon No. 9 produces less rainfall than initially forecasted, it is still expected to bring between 150 to 450 mm of rain - a dangerous threshold if reservoirs are already full.

Another concern highlighted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is the likelihood of extreme weather phenomena accompanying the typhoon. There is a high risk of thunderstorms, tornadoes, and lightning, both at sea and inland.

In agriculture, about 810,000 hectares of autumn rice remain, 600,000 of which have yet to be harvested. Hiep urged provinces to accelerate harvests wherever possible.

“If we wait for the storm to pass, losses will be severe. Many of these fields are nearing maturity. A poor final harvest could seriously affect livelihoods during the upcoming Tet holiday,” he warned.

Hiep also stressed that all actions must now center around one priority: ensuring maximum safety for the public.

300,000 personnel mobilized for standby response

At the meeting, Major General Pham Hai Chau, Deputy Director of the Rescue Department under the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, shared that the Ministry of National Defense had issued three emergency directives to its agencies and units to initiate storm response efforts. In addition, they have mobilized 300,000 officers, soldiers, and militia personnel, alongside 8,000 vehicles and six aircraft, to be ready to assist civilians as required.

One major warning issued by Major General Pham Hai Chau was the risk of landslides in mountainous provinces and the potential hazards from typhoon remnants along coastal regions such as Quang Ninh. In particular, he cautioned about threats to transport and tourism services, which could result in accidents if preventative measures are not implemented promptly.

Vu Diep