HANOI (Vietnam News - VNExpress): Storm Nongfa struck Vietnam’s north-central coast on Aug. 30 with winds topping 74 kph, unleashing downpours that submerged roads and cut off dozens of mountain villages in Ha Tinh and Quang Tri provinces.
In Quang Tri, 24-hour rainfall totals exceeded 250 millimeters in places, swelling rivers and inundating spillway bridges. In Gia Gia hamlet, floodwaters nearly a meter deep stranded 900 residents, while 32 households in Xa Vi hamlet were left isolated after roads were submerged by 60 centimeters. Huong Lap commune recorded 258 mm of rain, the highest in the province.
Ha Tinh faced similar devastation. Roads in Huong Khe district were submerged by more than half a meter, forcing closures along National Highway 15.
In Phuc Trach commune, the spillway to Rao Tre village was cut off, isolating 46 households of the Chut ethnic minority. Border guards were deployed to stand by for emergency evacuations.
In Huong Khe town, cars and motorbikes stalled on flooded Tran Phu Street, where incomplete drainage works worsened the flooding.
Farmers rushed to harvest grapefruit before rising waters ruined their crops. Meteorologists said rainfall in Ha Tinh reached up to 222 mm in the past day, prompting dam operators to release water from the Ke Go and other reservoirs to protect downstream areas.
Provincial authorities convened emergency meetings Saturday to coordinate evacuations and storm response. The top priority is safeguarding lives and property, said Tran Phong, chairman of Quang Tri and head of its Civil Defense Command, urging swift relocation of residents from vulnerable areas.
Farther north in Nghe An, officials banned all sea activities from Saturday and ordered all fishing boats to return to shore by 3 p.m. Coastal authorities were told to secure anchoring sites and relocate fish cages and floating houses to limit damage.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that Nongfa’s circulation will continue to dump rain across Thanh Hoa–Quang Tri provinces until Aug. 31, with totals up to 400 mm in some areas. Northern lowlands could see more than 250 mm, raising the risk of flash floods and landslides.
Nongfa is the sixth storm to form in the South China Sea this year. On Aug. 26, Typhoon Kajiki made landfall in Thanh Hoa–Ha Tinh, killing six people, leaving two missing, and injuring 47. That storm damaged more than 31,000 homes, triggered 456 landslides across several provinces, and caused power outages affecting 1.6 million households. - Vietnam News - VNExpress
