VIENTIANE (Laotian Times): Between Sept 28 and 30, Tropical Storm Bualoi, the country’s 20th storm of the year, swept across Laos, bringing heavy rains, floods, and flash floods that severely impacted communities nationwide.
The storm caused significant damage to infrastructure, disrupted livelihoods, and generated substantial economic, social, and environmental losses across 10 provinces: Xayabouly, Houaphanh, Xieng Khouang, Bolikhamxay, Xaysomboun, Vientiane Province, Vientiane Capital, Savannakhet, Attapeu, and Champasack.
Authorities reports confirmed on 9 September that the disaster affected 34 districts, 131 villages, 632 households, and 3,118 families, totalling 17,202 people.
A total of four people lost their lives in Bolikhamxay, Houaphanh, Savannakhet, and Xaysomboun. Meanwhile, four individuals remain missing, two in Xieng Khouang, one in Houaphanh, and one in Vientiane Capital.
Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone stressed the urgent need for preventive measures, urging enhanced monitoring of weather conditions, land stability, and water management at hydropower dams to reduce the impact of future storms.
Previous Disasters
Bualoi’s destruction follows a series of storms earlier this year, including Typhoons Wutip and Wipha, which wreaked havoc across the country between June and July.
Typhoons Wutip and Wipha wreaked havoc across 14 provinces, 63 districts, and 527 villages, leaving a trail of destruction that compounded the country’s recovery challenges.
According to the Central Disaster Management Committee, the two storms affected 26,562 families, damaged 2,709 houses, and caused 19 deaths, with four people still missing. Over 24,516 hectares of agricultural land were submerged, while 14 schools, over a hundred roads, and a dozen bridges suffered severe structural damage.
The 2024 Storm Season: Typhoons Prapiroon and Yagi
Last year’s rainy season also hit the region hard. Typhoons Prapiroon and Yagi hit Laos between July and September, impacting 15 provinces.
The two storms resulted in five deaths and one missing person, affecting 45,661 households and displacing more than 180 families.
Typhoon Yagi was particularly destructive in northern Laos, striking Luang Namtha, bringing torrential rains and floods.
In Bokeo Province, flash flooding in Na Hom village of Pha Udom district affected nine families and wiped out large areas of farmland and gardens. The storm returned to Luang Namtha a month later, inundating the local airport and a hospital, resulting in one fatality.
Before Yagi, Tropical Storm Prapiroon and a series of tropical depressions from 18 July to 21 August wreaked havoc across 13 provinces, including Vientiane Capital. Damages were estimated at LAK 318 billion (USD 14 million), displacing 17,548 families and leading to the loss of 13,478 livestock. - Laotian Times
