Heavy Rain in Northern Mountain and Midland Provinces Causes Floods, Two Dead, Nearly 200 Houses Collapsed or Damaged
The impact of a low-pressure trough passing through Northern Vietnam has resulted in frequent rain and thunderstorms in the region over the past 3-4 days. The midland and mountainous provinces have been the most affected, while Hanoi and other areas experienced only light rain.
According to meteorological agencies, rainfall from 7 PM on May 11 to 7 AM on May 12 was recorded at 73 mm in Cam Duong (Lao Cai), 94 mm in Thuong Quan (Bac Kan), nearly 130 mm in Kim Loan (Cao Bang), and nearly 80 mm in Quang Yen (Quang Ninh).
The Thương, Lục Nam, and Trung River basins in Lạng Sơn and Bắc Giang have experienced a flood event with water levels rising by 2-7 meters. The water level of the Cầu River, part of the Thái Bình River system, has approached alert level 2 (with level 3 being the highest).
In Lao Cai City (Lao Cai), localized heavy rain has caused flooding on several roads in low-lying areas of communes such as Bắc Cường, Nam Cường, Bình Minh, and Bắc Lệnh. Vehicles were unable to pass, with many cars stuck in water over 50 cm deep.
Residents rescue a student swept away by floodwaters while on the way to school on the morning of May 12. (Video: Laocaionline)
In Bắc Kan, this morning, a 5-year-old boy in Kim Hỷ commune, Na Rì district, was swept away by floodwaters, and two others were injured. Bắc Kan also reported the collapse of five houses, with over 50 hectares of rice and crops submerged, and two temporary dams washed away.
Bắc Giang, a province bordering Lạng Sơn, also reported damages due to heavy rain and flooding over the past two days, with more than 100 hectares of crops affected and many roads cut off due to over 1,100 cubic meters of landslides.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting stated that this afternoon and tonight, the mountainous and midland regions of Northern Vietnam will continue to experience rainfall of 40-60 mm, with some areas receiving over 80 mm. Specifically, Lai Châu, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, Quảng Ninh, Phú Thọ, and Thái Nguyên may see rainfalls of 60-100 mm, with some areas exceeding 150 mm.
Many roads in Lao Cai were locally flooded due to heavy rain on the morning of May 12. (Photo: Laocaionline)
From the night of May 14, the low-pressure trough will be pushed through Northern Vietnam by a cold air mass, causing the area of rainfall to expand further into the Central region. On May 15-16, the Northern and Central regions of Central Vietnam will experience rain and thunderstorms.
Due to prolonged rain, rivers and streams in Northern Vietnam will experience a flood event with upstream water levels rising by 2-5 meters and downstream by 2-3 meters. The flood peak on the upstream sections of the Chảy, Lô, and Hoàng Long rivers may reach alert level 1, while the upstream sections of the Thái Bình River system and smaller rivers in Northern Vietnam may reach alert levels 2-3.
Meteorological agencies warn of a high risk of flash floods and landslides in provinces such as Lai Châu, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, Cao Bằng, Lạng Sơn, Quảng Ninh, Phú Thọ, and Thái Nguyên.
The recent rain in the mountainous and midland provinces of Northern Vietnam began on the evening of May 9, with the first heavy rainfall in Lạng Sơn resulting in one death and nearly 200 houses being flooded, which later spread to other areas. The National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention has urged the affected provinces to proactively respond to the rain, floods, and landslides.
