Climate & Environment

Vietnam Deploys Troops as Heavy Rains Flood Central Regions

By AP

Heavy rains on Friday struck much of central Vietnam, flooding parts of Hue and following the floods and landslides that hit Danang the day before. State media reported that troops were mobilised and amphibious armoured vehicles were readied for rescue operations. Weather forecasts predict more rain through Sunday morning, and authorities warned that continued downpours could trigger flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas and flood low‑lying communities.

In Hue, the former imperial capital, rainfall over the past three days exceeded 800 millimetres (31.5 inches), raising the risk of flash floods and landslides. The heaviest rain fell in the coastal lowlands and hilly areas of the city’s south.

Danang’s residential areas and streets were inundated on Thursday, with water levels more than waist‑high in some places, exceeding 1 metre (3.3 feet). Rescue teams evacuated children and moved residents’ belongings to safety. A man remained missing after a boat carrying him and his wife capsized on the Truong Giang River on Wednesday afternoon. The couple had been returning home after cutting grass when the boat overturned. The woman, who could not swim, clung to a sack of grass and was swept nearly 300 metres downstream before residents rescued her; her husband was carried away by the current.

The military deployed nearly 130 troops in Danang and formed additional rescue teams. Amphibious armoured vehicles were readied in case conditions worsened. Landslides also blocked roads in the mountainous areas around Danang. In Tra Linh, a remote commune in the southwestern highlands, earth, rocks and fallen trees blocked a road leading to a nearby hamlet. Authorities cleared the debris and partially reopened the road, but further landslides remained possible.

Vietnam’s rainy season typically runs from May through November across much of the country. Last year, rains caused major flooding in central Vietnam as rivers swelled and submerged homes and tourist destinations in Hue and neighbouring Hoi An.

Benjamin Horton, a professor of earth science at City University of Hong Kong, said governments cannot prevent extreme rainfall, but they can act to reduce the damage it causes. That includes early warnings, preparing rescue teams in advance, protecting key infrastructure, evacuating people before roads flood and building better drainage systems. "Recovery must also build resilience to the next flood, not simply replace what was damaged," Horton said in an email to The Associated Press.