Two rescue officers carrying a child out of a severely flooded home in Tay Nha Trang Ward, Khanh Hoa Province, on Nov 20. — VNA/VNS Photo
KHANH HOA: Torrential rains continued to batter central Vietnam on Thursday (Nov 20), pushing key rivers above historic peaks and forcing people to evacuate overnight as military units rushed in to rescue those stranded by fast-rising waters.
The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said Danang, eastern Quang Ngai, Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa saw moderate to very heavy rain from early Thursday, with some localities recording more than 450mm.
Rainfall between Nov 16 and Thursday morning reached extreme levels in the mountainous communes of Khanh Son and Khanh Vinh in Khanh Hoa, where gauges registered between 400 and 600mm.
Khanh Hiep Commune reported 994.7mm of rain while Son Thai logged 834.5mm.
Data from provincial hydrological stations showed floodwaters climbing at dangerous speed.
At 6am Thursday, water on the Dinh River hit 6.66m, nearly a metre above the highest warning level and surpassing the 1986 historic flood. On the Cái River, the Đồng Trăng Station measured 13.14m, slightly below the infamous 2009 peak.
Forecasters warned the Ba River could exceed its 1993 record flood level of 5.21m later on Thursday before receding slowly.
Rivers in Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa are also expected to rise further, with several stations predicted to remain above Level 3 – Vietnam’s highest danger threshold – through Friday.
Flash floods and landslides remain a high risk along mountain passes and narrow valleys, including the Khanh Le Pass and Nguyen Tat Thanh Avenue in Khanh Hoa, and the National Highway 27C.
Flooding has engulfed large parts of Khnh Hoa and low-lying areas of Ninh Thuan, with residents reporting homes submerged to roof height in some neighbourhoods.
Local authorities said many households sent urgent calls for help overnight as water levels rose faster than expected.
In response to a request from Khanh Hoa, Naval Region 4 and the Naval Academy deployed more than 300 officers and soldiers, along with boats, rescue equipment and food supplies, starting late Wednesday.
At 3am Thursday, a rescue team reached the isolated hamlet of Cuu Loi 3 in Cam Lâm Commune and evacuated nine people trapped by floodwaters. Military and police forces continued evacuations across the province through the morning.
Elsewhere along the central coast, water levels on major rivers varied depending on local rainfall.
The Kon River has already peaked and is receding, while floods on the Thu Bon River are gradually falling below Level 2. Rivers from Hue to Gia Lai generally showed downward trends, but conditions to the south remain volatile.
Forecasters warned that rivers in Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa could continue rising over the next 24 hours, with some places topping the highest warning level.
Authorities urged dam operators to manage reservoir releases carefully to avoid overwhelming downstream communities.
Strong northeasterly winds of up to Level 8 on the Beaufort scale, gusting up to Level 10, swept across the northern East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) on Thursday, whipping up four-to-six-metre waves.
Offshore islands, including Bạch Long Vi Co Co and Ly Son, reported sustained winds of between Level 6 to 8. The Gulf of Tonkin is forecast to see waves of up to 5m through Thursday night.
In the north, Hanoi and surrounding provinces remained cold and mostly cloudy, with temperatures dipping to between 14 and 16 degrees Celsius and some upland areas dropping below 10 degrees.
The southern region, including HCM City, had scattered showers and thunderstorms on Thursday, most of them arriving in the late afternoon and evening.
Some localities could see rainfall exceeding 50mm. Forecasters warned of sudden gusts, lightning and hail in stronger cells. — Vietnam News/ANN
