Vietnam is reeling from the devastating impact of Typhoon Bualoi, which has already claimed 19 lives, left 21 missing, and injured at least 88 people, government officials confirmed Tuesday.
The powerful storm made landfall Monday in northern central Vietnam, battering the country with violent winds, massive waves, and torrential rains. Before hitting Vietnam, Bualoi had already killed at least 10 people in the Philippines.
The damage is staggering: over 100,000 houses were battered, mostly in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, while 10,000 hectares of rice fields and crops were swallowed by floodwaters.
Heavy rainfall exceeded 300 millimeters in just 24 hours, raising alarms of landslides and flash floods across the region.
In the capital, Hanoi, life came to a standstill. Streets were submerged, thunder and lightning crashed above the city, and traffic in many downtown areas came to a halt.
“It doesn’t rain, it pours,” said Hoang Quoc Uy, a 49-year-old Hanoi resident. “Water is flowing into my living room… I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
In Nghe An province, floodwaters climbed dangerously high, in some villages reaching roof level. On state broadcaster VTV, heartbreaking scenes showed families trapped inside damaged homes.
“This is my house. The roof was blown away by the winds, and now half a meter of water covers the floor,” said 56-year-old Ngo Thi Loan, her voice breaking. “All of my belongings have been damaged, all gone.”
Across northern central Vietnam, villages remain cut off—roads are impassable, and electricity is down. For many, survival has become a day-to-day struggle.
With its long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is no stranger to typhoons. But Bualoi, the most destructive storm this year, is a grim reminder of the country’s growing vulnerability to nature’s fury.
