Typhoon Wipha, the sixth major storm to hit Asia this year, unleashed torrential rains across central Vietnam this week, submerging towns, destroying crops, and displacing thousands of tons of earth in landslides. Local authorities report at least one fatality and widespread infrastructure damage as floodwaters reached 2 meters in residential areas of Nghe An province.
Vietnam's state-run Nhan Dan newspaper confirmed over 8,000 hectares of rice fields were inundated in Thanh Hoa province, with landslides disrupting transportation routes at eight locations. The storm displaced 20,000 cubic meters of debris – equivalent to 8 Olympic-sized swimming pools – and destroyed roofs of seven homes before weakening into a tropical depression Wednesday.
Meteorologists warn residual risks persist as swollen rivers threaten downstream communities. The disaster highlights growing climate challenges for Vietnam's agricultural heartland, which produces 18% of the nation's rice output. Emergency crews continue relief operations while monitoring unstable hillsides.
