On Sunday, September 28th, Vietnam closed multiple airports and emergency evacuated over 250,000 people threatened by the approaching storm typhoon “Bualoi”. Authorities warned that “Bualoi” could potentially trigger “multiple natural disasters”.
According to Vietnam News Agency, due to the typhoon’s impact, airports in Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Chu Lai, and Da Nang have temporarily ceased operations starting from September 28th. Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Minh Heng issued an emergency notice on Saturday, September 27th, urging ministries and localities to focus on preparing for the typhoon and potential natural disasters like floods, landslides, and flash floods. Phan Minh Heng also called for maintaining the “highest level of vigilance”.
Authorities also instructed all fishing ships in the typhoon’s path to return to port and mobilized thousands of soldiers to assist in evacuations.
The meteorological department stated that “Bualoi” is the tenth typhoon to hit Vietnam this year and is currently at sea with wind speeds reaching 130 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour), expected to make landfall later on Sunday evening.
“This is a fast-moving storm, with a speed almost twice the average speed, high intensity, and a wide impact range,” the national meteorological forecasting agency said. “It is capable of triggering multiple natural disasters simultaneously including strong winds, heavy rains, floods, flash floods, landslides, and coastal flooding.”
By October 1st, rainfall in northern and central provinces is expected to reach up to 600 millimeters with river levels rising by 9 meters, posing risks of floods and landslides.
On Sunday morning, 75 houses and school roofs were already ripped off in Guangtian Township of Hue City. Over the past two days, Hue has experienced continuous heavy rain due to the typhoon’s outer circulation, with strong winds causing power lines to collapse and trees uprooted.
The typhoon is expected to make landfall in Vinh, the capital of Nghe An province, where residents are securing their houses and mooring their boats before the typhoon arrives.
Prior to approaching Vietnam, typhoon “Bualoi” hit the Philippines, resulting in at least 10 deaths and widespread flooding.
Vietnam’s extensive coastline along the South China Sea is frequently affected by deadly typhoons. According to data from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture, over 100 people have died or gone missing due to natural disasters in the first seven months of this year. Just last year, Typhoon Yagi struck Vietnam, claiming the lives of over 300 people.