Record Rains Kill Four, Flood Over 100,000 Homes in Central Vietnam

Photo credit: APF

four people have been confirmed dead and five others remain missing after record-breaking rainfall triggered severe flooding in central Vietnam, authorities said on Wednesday.

According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the historic downpour inundated more than 103,000 homes across Hue, Danang, and Lam Dong provinces. The ancient city of Hue, a UNESCO World Heritage site was among the worst hit, recording over one metre of rainfall within 24 hours, breaking a two-decade national record.

The flooding also destroyed over 2,200 hectares of farmland, caused more than 150 landslides, and forced the evacuation of 21,000 residents. Although water levels began to recede early Wednesday, renewed rainfall later in the day prompted local authorities to discharge water from nearby hydropower dams to prevent further overflow.

Meteorologists warned that heavy rains would continue in the coming days, with rivers in central Danang province already swollen to dangerous levels.

Scientists have linked Vietnam’s worsening floods and landslides to climate change, which they say is intensifying extreme weather events across Southeast Asia.

Natural disasters, mostly storms, floods, and landslides have already left 187 people dead or missing in Vietnam this year, with total economic losses estimated at more than $610 million, according to official data.