Son La province ramps up typhoon preparedness

Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee and standing deputy head of the provincial Civil Defence Steering Committee, chaired a virtual meeting on July 22 to discuss response measures for Typhoon Wipha.

A view of the meeting on response measures for Typhoon Wipha.

The session gathered representatives of provincial departments and 75 communes and wards across the province.

According to the Son La Hydrometeorological Station, from the afternoon of July 21 to early July 22, the province recorded light to moderate rain, with localised heavy downpours driven by the storm’s circulation. Rainfall between 1:00 p.m. on July 21 and 7:00 a.m. on July 22 ranged from 10 to 60mm, with higher totals in some areas - 77.2mm - at Km 46 in Van Ho commune and 69mm in Xuan Nha commune.

 

A representative from the Son La Hydrometeorological Station provides a forecast update on the projected path of Typhoon Wipha.

Typhoon Wipha is expected to make landfall around 10:00 a.m. on July 22. As its circulation affects the region, Son La province saw moderate to heavy rain, with some areas facing very heavy downpours. Rainfall reached 80–150mm, with certain locations exceeding 200mm.

The province’s southeastern region, covering 32 communes and wards across Yen Chau, Moc Chau, Van Ho, Bac Yen, and Phu Yen areas, received 150–250mm of rain, even 300mm in some places.

From July 24 to 26, a tropical convergence zone connected to the weakening storm is expected to bring continued rainfall to northern Vietnam. Son La may experience further moderate to heavy rain and scattered thunderstorms, with totals ranging from 50–100mm and some areas exceeding 150mm. The station warned of intense, localised downpours topping 100mm within a three-hour period.

Members of the provincial Civil Defence Steering Committee outlined a series of response measures. These include deploying on-call forces ready to assist residents in flood-affected areas, and maintaining active flood discharge at local reservoirs, keeping water levels at 40% capacity to accommodate incoming rainfall.

Authorities also called for the rapid consolidation of commune-level civil defence units to ensure readiness. Additional measures include clearing drainage systems to prevent flooding in low-lying areas and preparing contingency plans for potential disease outbreaks during and after the floods.

The meeting is connected to communes and wards in Son La province.

Speaking at the meeting, Cong asked the provincial Military Command to review and guide localities in establishing and strengthening their civil defence steering committees. He also urged the setup of a centralised hotline to ensure streamlined coordination and real-time information handling in disaster response efforts.

On July 22, localities have deployed personnel to inspect high-risk areas for flash floods, landslides, and mudslides, and to prepare evacuation plans to move residents to safety if needed.

All departments and localities have also maintained round-the-clock duty throughout Typhoon Wipha and the entire 2025 rainy season, with the aim of minimising loss of life and property, and damage to infrastructure.

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