HANOI, Vietnam (AP) – Heavy storms in northern Vietnam have resulted in one confirmed death and one missing person, as reported by local police on Wednesday. The disturbance, known as Storm Wipha, weakened from a tropical storm into a depression after making landfall.
The tragedy occurred in Nghe An province, where a 59-year-old man lost his life when a tree collapsed onto his house during preparations for the storm on Sunday. Nghe An, which spans from the coastline to the mountainous border with Laos, was particularly affected by the torrential rains and subsequent flooding. In a related incident, authorities reported that a woman was swept away by floodwaters and remains unaccounted for. Additionally, four people sustained injuries during the severe weather.
The resulting flooding has wreaked havoc on infrastructure, leading to the damage of hundreds of homes, destruction of agricultural crops, and isolation of several remote communities. In response to the dangerous conditions, officials evacuated nearly 400 households from areas prone to landslides. Many upland areas are currently cut off from electricity and communication services. Heavy rainfall has also triggered landslides, exacerbating damage to roads, causing partial collapse of a school building, and destroying valuable crops and forested lands.
Storm Wipha made landfall on Tuesday morning, boasting sustained winds reaching up to 102 kilometers per hour (63 mph). Once on land, it weakened further but continued to disrupt daily life in the province, leading to widespread power outages, interruptions in farming activities, and temporary airport closures in northern regions.
In neighboring Thailand, the same weather system brought heavy rain from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, leading to flooding across various northern provinces. Reports indicate that over 350 individuals were affected by the rising waters, although no fatalities have been reported in Thailand. Local authorities have issued warnings about potential flash floods and landslides in the aftermath of the heavy rains.
As the situation continues to develop, emergency services remain on high alert, monitoring the impact of Storm Wipha and advising residents to take necessary precautions. The ongoing weather challenges serve as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of these regions to severe climate events.
In summary, Storm Wipha has left communities in both Vietnam and Thailand grappling with the aftermath of heavy rainfall, flooding, and structural damage, raising concerns about safety and the need for disaster preparedness in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
