Quang Ngai blamed the severe storm damage caused by Ketsana on inaccurate forecasts but the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment does not agree.

Quang Ngai, one day after Typhoon Ketsana.

Quang Ngai official blames forecasters for storm damage

“Their judgment is regrettable. It rejects the effort of thousands broadcasters, including staff who are holding on to Ly Son Island in Quang Ngai,” read the MONRE dispatch sent to Quang Ngai’s Party Committee Secretary.

Quang Ngai suffered the most in Typhoon Ketsana, totaling over 4.5 trillion dong and 33 deaths. Province officials claim that the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting center did not release an accurate forecast, causing heavy losses.

MONRE commented that the center’s predictions of the typhoon’s landfall were accurate, as were the continuous updates provided to Quang Ngai authorities.

In the dispatch, signed by Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Duc, the MONRE said that the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting was praised by the Prime Minister, the Central Standing Committee for Flood and Storm Control and other provinces for its tasks. However, Quang Ngai’s officials said that the center didn’t release accurate forecast, causing heavy losses for the province.

The ministry affirmed that since the afternoon of September 25, when Ketsana was still a tropical depression off the cost the Philippines, the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting updated the information about the developments of Ketsana.

When the typhoon passed the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, the center forecasted in its bulletin at 9.30am, September 28 that in the next 24 hours, the typhoon would directly hit the coastal region from Quang Binh to Quang Ngai and the southern area of the Tonkin Gulf. In the next 48 hours, it would directly strike provinces from Ha Tinh to Quang Ngai.

The typhoon actually hit Thua Thien – Hue city, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai from September 28 night to early morning September 29 as the center had forecast.

The MONRE said that as of 3.30pm, September 28, the Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting of Quang Ngai province continuously supplied updated information about typhoon Ketsana to the authorities of Quang Ngai province.

The ministry also emphasized the forecast activities were close to the development of downpours and floods in Quang Ngai.

VietNamNet/VNE