Four days of torrential downpours from Monday to Thursday, have caused flooding in Central Viet Nam, bringing great damage, loss, destruction and devastation to life and property to some localities of the region.

Data provided by the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control showed that as of Thursday at noon, floods triggered by torrential rains had left two people dead and three others missing in Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue while 17,877 houses in Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue, Da Nang, and Quang Ngai Province had been submerged under water. In addition, some areas of Quang Tri and Thua Thien – Hue provinces had been under about 0.3 - 0.6m water.

Moreover, the roof had been completely blown off 34 houses in Ha Tinh, Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces. Besides, 122 hectares of fruit and vegetable growing areas in Quang Tri and Da Nang had been destroyed  while 50,000 forestry seedlings, 5,000 chrysanthemum seedlings, 1,100 farm animals, 2 hectares of aquaculture area in Quang Tri Province had been damaged.

In recent days, torrential downpours have caused flooding and landslides in some central localities.

Heavy rains lashed Hue City, turning some streets into small lakes. Photo: TTXVN

Heavy to very heavy rains have pounded Thua Thien - Hue Province, causing the water level on the Huong and Bo rivers to reach alarm above level 3, triggering flash floods in several areas. Torrential downpours turned such major streets as Truong Chinh, Phan Chu Trinh, Phan Dinh Phung, Hai Trieu, Ben Nghe in Hue City into rivers, and some areas were inundated by more than 1m of water. Currently, Hue City, Huong Thuy Town, Huong Tra, Phong Dien, Quang Dien, Phu Vang, Nam Dong, Phu Loc are still submerged under as much as 0.3 - 1.5 m of water.

Heavy rains have paralyzed some sections of the North - South railway, including Hien Sy - Van Xa, Van Xa - Hue, Truoi - Huong Thuy, and some areas have been inundated by 0.5 m of water.

Flash floods caused by heavy rains have also left 6 villages in Truong Son Commune, Quang Ninh District, Quang Binh Province, isolated.

In Quang Tri Province, more than 1,300 houses in Hai Lang and Cam Lo districts and Dong Ha City were submerged in water. Heavy rains also led to partial flooding in some areas and routes that disrupted traffic. Currently, three districts of Dak Rong, Trieu Phong, Hai Lang are still submerged under as much as 0.2 - 1m of water.

The water level on rivers in Quang Tri Province are rising, posing potential localized flood risk to low-lying and riverside areas, and downstream areas of Ben Hai, Hieu, Thach Han and O Lau rivers, plus other vulnerable areas.

Some parts of the national highway linking north and south Viet Nam have also been blocked by flooding and landslides.

Heavy rains battered Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning caused flooding in low-lying areas. Torrential downpours led to partial flooding in such areas of Nha Trang City as Vinh Hoa and Vinh Hai wards and Phuoc Dong and Vinh Thanh communes.

Local authorities helped with evacuation of people from their homes in flooded areas in Thua Thien - Hue Province. Photo: TTXVN

Similarly, many localities in Ninh Thuan Province, especially in Phan Rang - Thap Cham city, have experienced prolonged, heavy rains that caused severe flooding.

Viet Nam’s National Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control is urging authorities in affected localities to take effective measures to reduce the impacts of floods and recover from flooding.

According to the weather warning issued by Viet Nam’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), from Thursday into Friday, the parts from Thua Thien - Hue to Quang Ngai, including Da Nang, will witness heavy to extremely heavy falls ranging from 100mm - 200mm, and even over 300mm possible in some places. During the forecast period, the total rainfall amount will be 50-100mm in common in Quang Tri and the parts from Binh Dinh to Ninh Thuan while more than 150mm of rain could fall in some places.

The rainfall activity, however, will gradually decline from Friday, November 17.

NCHMF has stated that there is a significant risk of potential flooding from rivers in central region from Thursday into Friday. The water level on rivers in Quang Nam and Quang Ngai is likely to rise again and hit its peak to reach at alert level 2 to 3 while that on rivers in Quang Tri, Binh Dinh, and Phu Yen, will reach alert level 1 to 2 or above.

Forecasters have also issued warnings of flash floods and landslides for mountainous areas, and flooding alerts are in place in low-lying and riverside areas and urban areas in the parts from Quang Tri to Phu Yen, including Da Nang.

The national weather service has issued flood alert at level 2 to the warning areas.

Reporting by TTXVN/Bao tin tuc – translating by H.L