Typhoon Bualoi made a violent landfall on Vietnam’s central coast on Monday, leaving behind a grim tally of at least 13 fatalities and 46 injured, as reported by an official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. This destructive storm’s journey began in the Philippines over the weekend, where it tragically claimed the lives of at least 10 individuals.
Touching down late Sunday evening with sustained winds between 73 and 83 miles per hour, as confirmed by state weather forecasters, Bualoi immediately sparked a desperate scramble for rescue. Many communities found themselves cut off by severe landslides and sudden flash floods. The typhoon’s westward progression brought relentless rainfall, causing water levels in regional hydropower reservoirs to surge, posing an imminent threat of further destruction.
In the wake of the storm, Vietnam’s national power provider, EVN, is working tirelessly to restore electricity to nearly two million households throughout central Vietnam, all of whom are currently without power.
Local weather forecaster Huy Nguyen emphasized the typhoon’s exceptional intensity, stating, “This typhoon is one of the strongest to hit these areas in the last two decades.” He further explained that the extensive damage was largely due to the storm lingering inland for a prolonged period, ranging from six to eleven hours, after its initial landfall.
Amid the chaos, rescue teams successfully extracted 13 individuals who were trapped by surging floodwaters at a riverside farm in Thanh Hoa Province on Monday afternoon. However, the situation remains critical, with at least 21 other people still reported missing or out of contact with their loved ones, according to the government official.
Tracking Typhoon Bualoi
An accompanying graphic visualizes the typhoon’s projected path and estimated wind arrival times, providing crucial insights into the storm’s progression.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii reported that Bualoi maintained maximum sustained winds of approximately 90 miles per hour as it carved a path of destruction across a wide area of central Vietnam. This region, unfortunately, was still struggling to recover from the devastation inflicted by Typhoon Kajiki just a month prior, exacerbating the current crisis.
The back-to-back typhoons have severely limited the time available for recovery, compounding the suffering of affected communities.
Tran Thi Ha, a 40-year-old resident of Ha Tinh Province, shared her heart-wrenching experience: “The previous typhoon destroyed my home. All the roof was blown away. I had just fixed my house with loans. Today, this typhoon has damaged my home again.”
The impact of Typhoon Bualoi extended far beyond its immediate path. In Ninh Binh Province, located about 124 miles from the storm’s core, powerful thunderstorms led to the collapse of homes and resulted in nine fatalities. Meanwhile, Ha Tinh Province, directly in the typhoon’s eye, experienced widespread power outages, plunging vast areas into darkness.
Tran Huu Khanh, the deputy director of the Ha Tinh Department of Agriculture and Environment, warned that “We expect the rain will continue.” He assured the public that “We are mobilizing resources to respond to the further risks of flash floods and landslides,” indicating ongoing efforts to mitigate the escalating dangers.
As a crucial precautionary measure, Vietnamese authorities had successfully evacuated tens of thousands of residents over the weekend in anticipation of Bualoi’s arrival.
The typhoon center predicts that Bualoi will dissipate within the next 24 hours. However, Dr. Huy issued a stern warning: “The typhoon continues to pour rain over Laos and the border region with Vietnam. The impact and danger of the typhoon are not over yet,” emphasizing the lingering threats from the relentless weather system.