VIETNAM: SUMMARY REPORT ON THE TYPHOON NO.6 - XANGSANE

Source: Government of Viet Nam
Date: 12 Oct 2006

I. Characteristics of Xangsane typhoon

The Typhoon No. 6 (international name: Xangsane) formed on the 26th September 2006 in the ocean East of the Philippines. At the nightfall of September 28th 2006, the Typhoon passed Philippine Islands to East Sea with wind force measured was at Beaufort Scale 12, gusting above Beaufort Scale 12. The typhoon was moving stably to the West with the moving speed of approximately 20 km per hour and its force measured of the Beaufort Scale 13, gusting above the Beaufort Scale 13. At 9 to 10 am of October 1st, 2006, the Typhoon landed on Da Nang city and kept moving to the mainland and mountainous lower area of Laos, and then gradually be weakened.

The typhoon No. 6 was recognized as one of the most violent typhoons in the recent two decades. The wind reached Beaufort scale 12 (130km/h), gusting above scale 13 (134-149km/h) on the offshore of the middle area of Central Region. When landing to Da Nang city it was at Beaufort Sale 12, gusting at above Beaufort scale 13-14. The radius of strong wind was around 50-70km. The effected area was very broad, from Quang Binh to Quang Ngai. It was at scale 9, gusting above scale 12 in Tam Ky (Quang Nam province), at scale 10 in Ly Son gusting above scale 12 (Quang Ngai province), at scale 7, gusting above scale 9 in Hue city and at scale 6, gusting above scale 8 in Dong Hoi (Quang Binh province).

The fierce wind was followed by very heavy rain from Thua Thien Hue to Quang Ngai provinces with rainfall of 150- 400mm and of 550mm at places (in 30th September and 1st October 2006), it caused flood and inundation in many areas on rivers in Central region and High Land provinces.

II. Loss

The brief statistic of loss in stricken provinces is reported below:
Loss of stricken provinces by Xangsane typhoon

Category	Unit	Total	Quang Nam	Da Nang	TT - Hue	Quang Binh	Quang Ngai	Nghe An	Others
Human loss
Dead	Person	66	15	26	4	3	0	11	10
Typhoon	Person	28
Flood	Person	38
Missing	Person	2
Injured	Person	525	315	61	101	8	11	0	29
Property loss
Broken houses		19,736	8,417	9,906	1,129	14	35	21	214
Damaged houses	Unit	273,744	132,400	73,874	41,109	11,706	1,141	1,746	11,768
Broken schools	Room	205	99	0	89	0	17	0	0
Damaged schools	Room	3,642	2,013	1,395	0	47	0	0	187
Broken hospitals & clinics	Unit	24	24	0	0	0	0	0	0
Damaged hospitals & clinics	Unit	42	38	0	0	4	0	0	0
Sank and damaged boats	Unit	878	311	320	108	10	45	0	84
Economic loss value	V. VND	10,376	1,800	5,290	2,910	47	40	85	203

Thousand of houses were collapsed (19,736) and hundred thousands of houses (273,744) were damaged, which made thousands of families homeless. In addition, thousands of schooling rooms collapsed and damaged directly affected the study of school pupils.

Total economic loss was estimated at10,376 billion VND. Da Nang was the most affected province (5,290 billion VND), followed by Thua Thien Hue (2,910 billion VND) and Quang Nam (1,800 billion VND).

III. Prevention and recovery work of the government and organizations

Prevention and preparation to confront the storm

The government provided a prompt leadership to prevent and minimize the consequences of the typhoon. A Front Direction Committee was established in Da Nang led by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung to provide direct and prompt leadership as well as coordinate central and local organizations in typhoon response.

The Ministry of Defense sent 36,120 officers and soldiers, 756 vehicles, 513 boats and ships and 16 helicopters to evacuate people and fishing boats out of storm areas. MARD and other ministries including Ministry of Fisheries, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Health, National Committee for Search and Rescue, VOV, etc, under the direction of the Government and CCFSC have coordinated to minimize the consequences of the storm such as giving instruction and calling for fishing boats to shelters, evacuating people, preparing rescue plans, strengthening dike and dam systems. In addition, these ministries and institutions were ready to overcome problems caused by the typhoon.

Before the storm landing 46, 385 households (163,549 people) had been evacuated; 35,956 boats of central provinces, from Thanh Hoa to Khanh Hoa had been safely moved to shelters. 202,600 people in the affected areas had been evacuated to safe places. Weak dams and dikes had been reinforced.

Post-typhoon activities to recover consequences

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung and CCFSC Chairman Le Huy Ngo directly provided leadership in affected areas to recover the consequences of the typhoon and flood. The President Nguyen Minh Triet visited the affected provinces to monitor and encourage people and officials in recovering consequences of the typhoon.

The Prime Minister made a decision No. subsidize 161 billion VND for localities affected by the typhoon. Affected provinces are distributing this source to affected families to help them return to normal life.

Missions of the Ministries included Health, Transportation, Postal and Telecommunication, Environment and Natural Resources, Industries, etc. and local governments have been making efforts to recover the typhoon and flood consequences such as providing health services, cleaning environment and recovering infrastructure.

All forces included polices, soldiers, doctors and youths were mobilized to help people rebuild their houses, provide food, medicine and health care services to people.

Three missions of International Organizations and NGOs led by the UNDP and CCFSC (represented by the NDM-Partnership team) finished a joint assessment on damage and emergency relief needs in stricken provinces (Quang Nam, Da Nang and Thua Thien Hue)

The government also directed local governments and mass organizations to be ready to receive aids from international and national organizations and individuals to eliminate typhoon consequences.

Immediate results

Thanks to the prompt leadership of the central and local government, proactive participation of relevant ministries and institutions, a timely and correct forecast from the Hydro-meteorological Centre, damage caused by the typhoon was minimized.

54.85 tons of rice, 22, 350 packs of noodles and 600 liters of paraffin oil have been distributed to affected people in Thua Thien Hue.

Houses are being rebuilt. Thua Thien Hue proposed to support 12 roofing pieces/roof-broken house, 2 millionVND/collapsed house. Up to date, 107/9906 collapsed houses have been rebuilt, 8183/25845 roof broken houses have been recovered, 34619/47018 partly damaged houses have been repaire in Da Nang. 100% evacuated people in Thua Thien - Hue an Quang Nam have returned home.

Up to date 100% school students in Da Nang have returned to school. Meanwhile, according to the report on the 6th October 2006, in four heavily affected districts of Quang Nam, only 20-30% students have returned to school. The province has put priority on fixing schools.

It is reported that grassroots medical system in Da Nang has been ready to provide health care services to local people. Electricity and telecommunication networks are also being recovered.

Evaluation

The government, ministries and institutions made all efforts and coordination to prevent and minimize the consequences of the typhoon. Thanks to a well coordination between the Vietnamese government and neighbor countries all the offshore fishing boats safely evacuated and no fisherman died of the typhoon. Human and property loss was also minimized.

Despite the great efforts of the government, institutions and people the extremely strong typhoon caused severe damage to people in the central provinces of Vietnam. There are still thousands of homeless people and children. 20,000 households in Da Nang are still living in their relative houses, schools and public works since their houses were heavily damaged and not yet recovered. In addition, only 20-30% students in heavily affected areas in Quang Nam have return to school due to lack of study rooms and other factors. Grassroots medical systems have not recovered and worked. People are facing with risks of epidemics and poverty, etc.

IV. Aid priorities

The government prioritized activities to help people stabilize their life.

Firstly, save human life such as providing food, shelters

Secondly, recover damaged schools to help students return to school such as providing books, reconditioning study rooms.

Thirdly, provide health care services, clean environment and prevent epidemics

After that, support farmers and economic organizations to stabilize their production, namely:

Provide seeds, fertilizers and materials to farmers

Reestablish infrastructures including electricity, telecommunications, transportation, etc.

The President Nguyen Minh Triet stressed that disaster preparedness and prevention should be taken in to account in the process of urban and construction planning in the long term.

The CCFSC and Vietnamese Government are very grateful to the contributions both in cash and in kind from domestic and international organizations and individuals. The Government directed local governments and institutions in affected province to be ready to receive and distribute supports to affected families and institutions./.