Record Rainfall Devastates Central Vietnam, 13 Dead in Historic Floods

Central Vietnam is grappling with catastrophic flooding after experiencing the heaviest rainfall in the country’s recorded history. The ancient city of Hue was pummeled with an unprecedented 42 inches of rain in just 24 hours starting October 26, triggering deadly floods and landslides that have claimed at least 13 lives and left 11 people missing.

The extreme weather event has displaced tens of thousands of residents, with nearly 26,000 people evacuated from flood zones and landslide-prone areas. Approximately 120,000 homes across the region were submerged, while 56 houses were completely destroyed and 147 others severely damaged. The flooding severed Vietnam’s crucial North-South railway connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for three days, with hundreds of workers laboring through the night to restore this vital transportation link.

As floodwaters begin to recede, rescue operations are intensifying across the affected areas. The Vietnamese government has deployed helicopters and military troops to deliver emergency supplies including food and medicine to previously inaccessible communities. Coastal cities like Hue and Danang are seeing some relief, though widespread flooding is expected to persist for at least two more days according to state media reports.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has implemented emergency recovery measures, emphasizing that no resident should go without food or shelter. Teams are now focused on restoring critical infrastructure including roads, power lines, and schools, while emergency rice distribution is planned to begin by Saturday. This extreme weather event underscores Vietnam’s vulnerability to increasingly intense climate-related disasters.