Cat Ba plans and organizes drills for disaster prevention and search and rescue

Ensuring the safety of tourists in the rainy season

Cat Ba is a masterpiece that nature bestows on Hai Phong, a world biosphere reserve with outstanding global biodiversity. Lan Ha Bay is one of the most beautiful bays in the world, with hundreds of large and small beaches among the rocky canyons on the islands.

According to statistics from the tourism industry, each year, on average, more than 2 million tourists come to Cat Ba and bring in total revenue of trillions of dong. In 2022 alone, Cat Ba welcomed more than 2.3 million tourists, and the total income from tourism is estimated at VND 2,045 billion.

Although there have been many efforts to develop tourism evenly in all four seasons of spring - summer - autumn - winter, tourists come to Cat Ba most actively every year, especially in the summer. This is also the time when the storms occur. Storms often land, and if there is no plan for prevention and control, the loss of life and property will be huge.

Therefore, from the beginning of the year, the Cat Hai district government had plans, plans, organized drills for disaster prevention and search and rescue, reviewed and supplemented intends to respond to solid storms and super typhoons and scheduled the inspection and assessment of the dike condition. Since then, plans have been developed to protect critical points against storms, floods, and search and rescue.

In natural disaster situations, Cat Hai district has organized to direct and promptly administer response activities such as: Deploying plans for natural disaster prevention and control according to each case and natural disaster; proactively implementing the plan to evacuate people in critical areas along rivers, the coast and old housing quarters; perform well the work of ensuring safety, security.

Whenever there is, a tropical depression or a storm makes landfall, inland waterway transport activities, river ferries, sea ferries, Cat Hai - Phu Long cable car route, and entertainment activities on areas Sea, coastal, island, and riverside in Hai Phong have all been suspended to facilitate population movement and limit damage.

In addition, Cat Hai district has also actively coordinated with border guards, firmly grasped the number and types of fishing boats, maintained communication with ships and owners, and arranged safe mooring arrangements for vessels to avoid storms.

Specifically, in the area adjacent to the south of Cat Hai island, there are often high tides and weak dikes. When storms occur, the locality must migrate to high positions or the commune People's Committee headquarters to find shelter.

In response to the last storm (Typhoon TALIM), when there were still more than 13,000 tourists on the island, the Cat Hai District People's Committee promptly directed suspending tourist activities in Cat Ba. The Commanding Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of Cat Hai district organizes information about the storm's development for businesses, tourist resorts, restaurants, hotels, and tourists staying there.

Along with counting, guiding, and arranging for ships, boats, service rafts, aquaculture, and evacuating people to safe shelter locations, the Cat Hai District People's Committee has flexibly assigned the Cultural Center to Information and Sports coordinated with the People's Committee of Cat Ba town to inform the owners of restaurants and hotels in the district to reduce the accommodation price of at least 50% for tourists to avoid storms.

Stock up on essentials so that people can safely avoid storms

In Cat Ba island, the entire Cat Ba port area, Ben Beo area, and some key locations must move 100% of the rafts, restaurants, and services at sea to safe places.

To facilitate people's movement and limit damage from big storms, Hai Phong City usually issues a sea ban and stops all shipping activities at sea.

As for the relocation of residents to avoid storms, the district actively organizes early deployment and completes one day before all people and ships are moved to a safe shelter.

It is known that, on average, each storm will have to move more than 800 boats to the bays to avoid storms according to regulations. As for the people, the whole district has about 127 households, and 270 people in the area must be relocated when the storm hits the island.

The border guards and functional branches must be mobilized for the caged area to mobilize ashore. If not, they will be coerced. Most people have to comply. If boats do not comply, they will be forced to sign a commitment. If there is damage and life, they will be responsible for themselves.

When storm No. 1 happened, Cat Hai District People's Committee deployed the "4 on the spot" option with a force of 1,925 people, along with supplies, including 60 m³ of black sand, 50 m³ of rock, 3,780 sacks, 400 m of rope, 1,130 bamboo poles, 243 apricots, hoes, shovels, cutlery.

In addition, functional forces also mobilized more than 1,000 life jackets, more than 400 lifebuoys, nine sets of tents, 32 generators, 39 loudspeakers, 89 flashlights, etc. The vehicle consisted of 30 cars, 33 motorboats, 8 cranes, bulldozers, 1 ambulance and prepared nearly 900 boxes of instant noodles, 24 tons of food, 310 barrels of drinking water to cope with the storm.