Relentless Floods Push Central Vietnam to the Brink

HANOI, VIETNAM — Central Vietnam is grappling with its third major natural disaster in as many months, as relentless rains since the weekend have triggered historic flooding and landslides that have killed 43 people and left nine missing. This latest deluge compounds the severe damage already inflicted by Typhoons Kalmaegi (which killed 5 in Vietnam and 188 in the Philippines) and Bualoi (which killed 11) earlier this season.

Experts warn that the successive, destructive events underscore the increasing intensity and frequency of typhoons due to climate change, leaving the region with little time to recover between storms.

Rainfall in key regions exceeded 1.5 metres over the past three days, with water levels in some areas rising above the record 5.2-metre peak set in the great 1993 flood.

The sheer volume of water overwhelmed fragile infrastructure, leading to widespread chaos:

A suspension bridge in Lam Dong province was filmed being torn off its anchors and washed away.

The Mimosa Pass, a critical entry route near Da Lat, saw a section of the road collapse into a ravine, leading to a state of emergency declaration in the province.

More than 67,700 homes have been inundated, including over 40,000 in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, the country\’s main coffee production belt.

“I am worried about our furniture in my restaurants and shops, but of course I cannot do anything now. I don\’t think the water is going to recede soon, as the rain has not stopped,” said Bui Quoc Vinh, a restaurant owner in Nha Trang whose ground-floor businesses were submerged.

The cumulative toll from natural disasters this year has already topped $2 billion. The latest floods have crippled the power grid, causing blackouts for over half a million customers, and devastated over 13,000 hectares of crops.

The key robusta coffee harvest in Dak Lak is severely hindered, with farmers unable to pick and dry the beans, creating fears of major losses and root rot due to the continuous saturation.

In response, the government has deployed a massive relief operation, mobilising over 60,000 police and military personnel to evacuate residents and set up emergency shelters as authorities warn that heavy rainfall and the threat of landslides will continue through Sunday.