Da Nang’s total precipitation in both 2020 and 2021 measured by a number of local weather stations surpassed the historical record of 1964 that occurred the worst flooding in the city’s history. Hence, local residents remain haunted by this devasting disaster. In Viet Nam’s history, the year 1964 has from that time to present been known as ‘The Catastrophe in the Year of the Dragon’ or ‘The Catastrophic Flooding in the Year of the Dragon’. In 2022, Viet Nam’s National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control urged coastal localities to take proactive steps in response to potential flooding that is silimar to extreme event in 1964 as the expected recurrence interval of that size of flood is equal to 60 years.

Floods occurrence has tended to increase in Central Viet Nam in recent years. IN THE PHOTO: The La Bong Village, Hoa Tien Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang, was in deep water after heavy rain lashed the city on October 18, 2021. Photo: HOANG HIEP

According to the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, since the beginning of 2022, Viet Nam has been hit by one storm, and 102 heavy rainfall events causing floods, flash floods and landslides, along with 101 severe thunderstorm events while 55 cases of river bank erosion have occurred across the country. As a result, these disasters have left 77 dead or missing, injured 45 others while 146 houses have suffered total destruction, 3,777 others have been damaged or destroyed roofs, along with 168,432 hectares of rice have been destroyed with an estimated economic loss of about VND 4,030 billion. Floods triggered by heavy rainfall are one of the most frequent and widespread severe weather hazards to affect the Central region. Floods already rank as the most destructive natural hazard in Central Viet Nam and are the region's most frequent form of natural disaster. Floods account for a greater proportion of lost of life and economic damage than other types of natural disasters. The 1964 flooding event is the most devastating natural disaster ever recorded in Viet Nam’s history.  The parts from Thua Thien- Hue to Binh Dinh, including Da Nang, experienced prolonged, heavy rains from 4 - 10 November, 1964 that caused severe and widespread flooding with an enormous loss of life. Particularly, nearly 6,000 people in Quang Nam Province were dead or missing in this catastrophic flooding event.

The annual rainfall record set in Da Nang was 3,307mm in 1964 while the city's annual average precipitation was only 2,066mm. However, in 2021, the total annual rainfall recorded in the Da Stream in Son Tra District was 4,012mm, 705mm higher than the precipitation amount recorded in 1964, 3,564mm of rain falled at the Dong Nghe Lake in Hoa Vang District, 257mm higher than in 1964. In 2020, the total annual rainfall received in the Dong Nghe Lake was 4,029mm, 3,981mm of rain recorded in the Da Stream, 3,769mm in Hoa Vang District’s Tuy Loan area, 3,899mm in Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Bac Commune, all much higher than in 1964.

2022 is considered to be the year with significant rainfall occurences. In Da Nang, from the beginning of 2022 to July 12, the total rainfall measured at many monitoring stations was 2-5 times higher than the same period in 4 previous years. In detail, accumulated total precipitation recorded in Hoa Phu Thanh Tourist Area was 1,595mm, 1,088mm of rain received in the Ba Na Hills Resort, 1,031mm in the Da Stream, 902mm in the Dong Nghe Lake.

In his remarks at a national consultation workshop for preparedness and early action in response to storms and floods in Central Viet Nam held in Da Nang on June 24, 2022, Mr Tran Quang Hoai, the Deputy Director of the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and General Director of the Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority said that the expected returns for extreme precipitation events are forecast for 2022 with total annual rainfall expected to be much higher than the average annual precipitation in the same period in previous years amid various natural disasters around the world. He warned of “bigger and stronger” storms to hit Viet Nam this year. Therefore, he highlighted the need for the national government and authorities in nationwide localities to apply early action and prepare themselves for natural disasters in an attempt to reduce the potential damage and suffering that disasters can cause.

Mr Hoai noted that the flooding problem is serious in the downstream in the Central region. In the past years, Central region has not experienced such a catastrophic flooding event in 1964 but the region has seen a significant increase in population, industrial parks and socio-economic centers. He warned that the region could face a “huge amount” of economic damage from potential flooding that is silimar to extreme event in 1964. Hence, the focus should be on finding best ways to tackle large-scale flooding in order to keep damage and losses to a minimum in line with the national program on natural disaster prevention and control.

Like Quang Nam Province and other localities in Central Viet Nam, Da Nang has been frequently hit by a series of natural disasters, including storms and widespread flooding. Since 1998, natural disasters have left 220 people dead or missing and injured 227 others while thousands of houses have been damaged, and crops and transport infrastructure have been devastated, with a total economic loss of nearly VND 10,000 billion.

In a conversation with a reporter from the Da Nang Newspaper on June 24, 2022, Mr Hoai underlined the need for Da Nang to take proactive measures to respond to natural disasters with an emphasis on risk reduction to help mitigate damage to property and loss of life. High priority should be given to keeping owners of vessels operating at sea timely informed about severe weather conditions to help them take the initiative to avoid dangerous areas or seek safe shelters during the bad weather. Heed should be paid to ensuring the safety for tourists, workers along with college and university students who are living in private rented housing during extreme weather events. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to assisting tourist accommodation establishments, tourism and travel-related services in coastal areas, along with companies located in industrial parks to increase their resilience to natural disasters. Mr Hoai also noted that the key to reducing loss of life, personal injuries, and damage from natural disasters is widespread public awareness and education as well as local community's willingness to participate in reducing the impacts of natural disasters.

He said happily that the effects of the disasters caused by natural hazards across Central Viet Nam have been greatly reduced by action taken in advance to reduce vulnerability to them. The positive results have been also attributed to great efforts of the national government, authorities in central localities and their local residents in responding to natural disasters.

Reporting by HOANG HIEP – Translating by H.L