The conference was connected online from the Government headquarters to localities affected by the storm.

Attending and chairing the conference at Ninh Binh bridge were comrades: Doan Minh Huan, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Control and Search and Rescue. Also attending were Vice Chairmen of the Provincial People's Committee; leaders of relevant departments, branches, districts and cities in the province.

At the beginning of the conference, delegates observed a minute of silence to commemorate the victims killed by storm No. 3 and floods.

According to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, storm No. 3 is the strongest storm in the past 30 years in the East Sea and the past 70 years on the mainland of our country, causing heavy damage to people and property of the people and the State.

As of 6:00 a.m. on September 15, storm No. 3, heavy rain, landslides, and inundation caused by storm circulation have killed 348 people, left 1,921 people missing, injured nearly 232,000 houses damaged; more than 190,000 hectares of rice flooded and damaged; nearly 48,000 hectares of crops flooded and damaged; nearly 32,000 hectares of fruit trees damaged; more than 3,200 aquaculture cages damaged and swept away; more than 2.6 million poultry and livestock died...

At the conference, leaders of central ministries, branches and localities reported on storm and flood response work; shared lessons learned; measures to overcome consequences, support people and businesses to stabilize their lives, restore production and business activities, and promote growth; as well as make recommendations and propose tasks in the coming time; in which many localities requested the Government to expand support so that people can soon stabilize their lives and restore production and business.

In Ninh Binh province, because the storm did not make landfall directly, and the province always proactively implemented plans to prevent and combat storms and floods, the damage caused by storm No. 3 was not significant; there were no casualties, and all households in the affected areas were evacuated to safety. The province's dyke system, pumping stations, dams, power grid, and communication systems operated safely and continuously, ensuring flood prevention, drainage, and power supply for production and daily life of the people. The initial estimated damage caused by storms and floods in the province was over 50 billion VND.

In the coming time, Ninh Binh province will continue to focus on monitoring flood developments on Hoang Long and Day rivers; assigning and dispatching forces to patrol and inspect 24/7 on dike routes to promptly detect incidents and implement response plans according to approved scenarios.

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh acknowledged and highly appreciated the activeness, responsibility and proactiveness of ministries, branches and provinces and cities in implementing response measures, contributing to minimizing the damage caused by storm No. 3. The Prime Minister thanked the people for their support in overcoming the consequences of storms and floods with the spirit of trust in the Party and State in handling natural disasters.

After pointing out the difficulties and presenting lessons learned in leadership and direction in response to storm No. 3, the Prime Minister requested: In the immediate future, ministries, branches, provinces and cities should focus on flood prevention, ensuring the safety of dykes on the Red River - Thai Binh River system and immediately overcoming incidents on dykes after the flood because the flood on the river banks is still at a very high level. Urgently overcome the consequences caused by the storm; ensure the supply and support of enough food, clean water, absolutely do not let people go hungry or cold; mobilize forces to support people in repairing houses, cleaning the environment, and preventing epidemics. Operate pumping stations and irrigation systems to drain water and save flooded rice and crops; prepare seed sources to restore production immediately after the storm. Focus on promptly overcoming incidents of the power grid and information systems...

For the northern mountainous region, focus on searching for missing people at the Phong Chau bridge incident (Phu Tho) and missing people due to floods, flash floods, and landslides in Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Cao Bang provinces...

In the long term, it is necessary to focus on strictly implementing Directive No. 42-CT/TW dated March 24, 2020 of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership in the work of preventing, responding to, and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and guiding documents; the National Strategy for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the National Plan for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, etc.

Provinces and cities focus on search and rescue, organize food aid, necessities for households at risk of hunger, especially households in isolated areas; inspect, review, and fully and accurately count all damages to production and property of people and businesses; review, arrange, and relocate people in areas at high risk of natural disasters, especially landslides and flash floods in mountainous areas to safe places, while creating sustainable livelihoods for people in their places of residence.

The day after the Government's conference, Comrade Pham Quang Ngoc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control, gave a speech to reassess the situation of storm No. 3 and its circulation after the storm, and emphasized: Ninh Binh province was not directly affected by storm No. 3, so it did not suffer heavy damage, but this also showed the methodical and unified operation in accordance with the established disaster prevention and control plan, demonstrating the spirit of "unanimity", proactiveness and positivity of the sectors, and the people's trust in the leadership of the Party and State in urgent and historic situations. This is a valuable lesson and important experience for Ninh Binh, together with the whole country, to build and develop the homeland.

To quickly restore production and stabilize people's lives, especially those in flooded areas in Nho Quan and Gia Vien, he requested that all levels, sectors and localities review the damage, promptly handle the environment to prevent disease outbreaks, and quickly return educational activities to normal.

Through storm No. 3 and the floods after the storm, the load-bearing capacity of irrigation works has been affected, so the functional sectors, according to their duties, re-evaluate the natural disaster prevention and control works in the area in a meticulous, scientific manner, with a long-term vision, on that basis, propose solutions to overcome and upgrade, and complete the overall planning of the irrigation and drainage system.

Along with that, review the planning of the education and health systems in flood-hit areas to ensure comprehensiveness and consistency with the general planning, not sporadic and fragmented to serve sustainable reconstruction for low-lying areas frequently affected by floods and natural disasters.

Sectors and localities organize reviews of collectives and individuals with many positive contributions to PCTT and TKCN work to promptly encourage and reward them.

Nguyen Thom - Anh Tuan