Editorial · September 15, 2024
Typhoon Safety in Vietnam: Prepare and Read Official Warnings
Typhoon safety in Vietnam starts with three habits: check official warnings every few hours, prepare your home before the storm arrives, and stay indoors once the wind rises. Most harm comes from people who wait too long to act. This guide gives you a plain checklist you can finish in one afternoon.
Where official warnings come from
Vietnam's national hydrometeorological forecasting centre, known as NCHMF, runs the official weather site at nchmf.gov.vn. Its menu has a page for storms and tropical depressions. It also has a page for storm disaster risk zones. Start there, not with a forwarded chat message.
Local authorities add their own orders. Your province may ban boats, close schools or halt events. These orders often come through local news and ward loudspeakers. Learn the name of your ward and district, because bulletins list places by name.
Check two things in each bulletin. First, the forecast path and timing. Second, the expected wind strength and rain. Vietnam measures wind on a force scale, and a storm near the top of that scale can break roofs and trees. Treat any storm bulletin that names your province as a reason to act the same day.
What Typhoon Yagi showed in early September 2024
Typhoon Yagi crossed into the Gulf of Tonkin on the night of 6 September 2024. Forecasts then pointed to landfall around midday on 7 September between Quang Ninh and Hai Phong. Officials expected the strongest effects in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh.
Officials acted before it arrived. On 6 September the Prime Minister signed Official Dispatch No. 88/CD-TTg. It told northern provinces to keep boats in shelters and keep people off fishing cages and moored boats. It said people should not stay in dangerous areas. It said residents should limit travel unless essential. It also told provinces to check dykes, reservoirs and dams.
The same day, border guards reported guiding more than 219,900 people to learn the storm's track and move out of danger. The directive left school closures to each province.
Forecasters also warned of heavy rain. Totals of 100 to 350 mm were forecast, with more than 500 mm possible in some places. That matters because rain can cause flooding and landslides after the wind drops.
The lesson is simple. Warnings came a full day ahead. People who used that day to prepare had far more choices.
Sources: VnExpress, 6 September 2024, on the national mobilisation and the 10 a.m. forecast; Government of Vietnam, Prime Minister's directive on Typhoon Yagi, Official Dispatch No. 88/CD-TTg; VnExpress on border guard figures.
Home checklist: do this the day the warning appears
Work from the outside in. Small jobs done early beat big jobs done in the first gusts.
- Bring in or tie down anything the wind can lift: plant pots, signs, bikes, laundry lines and rooftop items.
- Close and latch shutters and windows. Tape does not make glass safe, so keep away from windows during the storm.
- Clear drains, gutters and balcony outlets so rain can leave.
- Move valuables, documents and electronics to a high shelf. Put passports and ID cards in a sealed plastic bag.
- Fill clean containers with drinking water. Plan for at least three days.
- Stock dry food, a manual can opener, a torch, spare batteries and a battery power bank.
- Charge every phone and power bank fully. Download an offline map.
- Write down the numbers for your ward office, a nearby relative and your building manager.
If you live in a low house near the coast, a river or a hillside, decide now where you will go if told to leave. Do not wait for a second warning. Officials can order people out of danger zones, and leaving early is easier than being moved late.
Shops can run low fast, so buy what you need as soon as the bulletin names your area.
Sources: Government of Vietnam, directive on evacuation and protecting homes and dykes. The rest of this checklist is general preparedness practice.
Travel checklist for visitors and residents
Storms disrupt transport first. Flights, trains and ferries can stop before the wind peaks.
- Check your airline and train operator the day before you travel. Storms often cause cancellations a day ahead.
- Keep a flexible booking when you plan a trip to the north or the central coast in the typhoon months.
- Tell your hotel your plans. Hotel staff usually get local instructions early.
- Do not go to beaches, piers, islands or boat tours when a storm is forecast. Boat bans along the coast are real orders.
- Skip mountain roads and river crossings. Heavy rain can trigger landslides and flash floods.
- Check your travel insurance for storm cover and keep the policy number on your phone.
If you are a visitor, register your trip with your embassy if it offers that service. Keep a paper copy of your passport details in a waterproof bag.
Sources: Government of Vietnam, directive on boats and travel; VnExpress, 6 September 2024. Other items are general travel practice.
During the storm and the day after
Once the wind rises, stay inside. Pick an inner room on a low or middle floor, away from glass. Keep your phone for official updates and emergencies, and save the battery by lowering screen brightness.
Switch off the mains power if water enters your home. Do not touch wet wiring or sockets. Never walk or ride through floodwater. It can hide open drains, sharp debris and live cables.
The eye of a storm can bring a short calm. The wind returns, often from the opposite direction. Stay put until local officials say it is safe.
After the storm, look before you step outside. Fallen power lines, broken glass, weak trees and loose roof sheets are the main hazards. Keep children away from flooded streets and drains. Check on elderly neighbours if you can do so safely.
Rain can keep falling after the wind eases, so watch for landslide and river-flood warnings. Boil or treat drinking water if the supply looks cloudy or the mains were flooded. Take photos of any damage for insurance before you clean up.
This is general information, not medical advice. If someone is hurt, call the local emergency number and follow the instructions of rescue teams.
Sources: General storm safety practice; official warnings and local orders on the NCHMF site take priority over this guide.
Quick recap
- Check NCHMF and your local authority, not forwarded messages.
- Prepare the day the warning names your province.
- Keep water, light, power and papers ready.
- Follow boat bans, school closures and evacuation orders.
- Stay in until officials say the danger has passed.