Persistent, torrential rains have unleashed a fresh wave of catastrophic flooding and devastating landslides across Central Vietnam, submerging thousands of homes and severing crucial transportation arteries. In the 48 hours leading up to November 12, nearly 2,000 households were forced into emergency evacuations as communities from Hue to Gia Lai grappled with nature’s relentless onslaught. At least two individuals have sustained injuries.
The deluge, which intensified dramatically between November 9 and 11, spread a wide swath of destruction, with the provinces of Quang Ngai, Da Nang, and Dak Lak bearing the brunt. Rainfall totals were staggering; some areas recorded over 500 millimeters, while localized extremes surpassed 630 millimeters in Tra Thanh, Quang Ngai, and nearly 553 millimeters in Tra Giap, Da Nang. This volume of water, combined with rapidly surging river levels, overwhelmed existing drainage systems.
The human impact extends far beyond the immediate injuries. Over 2,700 houses across Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces alone have been inundated, their contents lost to the rising waters. An additional 47 homes suffered significant damage or lost their roofs in Quang Tri, Hue, Quang Ngai, and Dak Lak. Landslides directly impacted 41 houses in Da Nang and Quang Ngai.
In Quang Ngai Province, Phuoc Giang commune found itself in a particularly dire situation, with floodwaters reaching depths of 0.5 to 1.5 meters and isolating nearly 500 households. Villages such as Kim Thanh, Long Bang, Dong Truc Lam, Binh Lam, and Son Hoa saw hundreds of homes submerged, their residents battling depths ranging from half a meter to over a meter. Local authorities, recognizing the immediate danger, swiftly deployed emergency response teams, issuing urgent warnings and actively assisting in the relocation of vulnerable residents, especially the elderly and children, to safer ground. The estimated damage in Phuoc Giang commune alone stands at 11.7 billion Vietnamese Dong.
Beyond homes, the lifelines of central Vietnam’s economy and daily existence — its infrastructure and agriculture — have been severely compromised. Major national and provincial roads were cut off by a combination of deep flooding and impassable landslides. In Gia Lai Province, landslides on National Highway 1D buried sections of the roadway under thick mud and rocks, stranding vehicles and effectively severing crucial transport links. Similarly, in Da Nang City, mountainous communes witnessed their transport connections vanish, with National Highways 40B and 24C in the Tra My area rendered impassable by deep inundation and powerful currents.
The agricultural sector has suffered losses. Over 235 hectares of crops, including 121 hectares in Thanh Hoa, 5 hectares in Quang Tri, and 109 hectares in Dak Lak, have been destroyed, wiping out seasonal yields. The livestock and aquaculture industries also faced devastation, with nearly 9,850 poultry and 14 livestock killed or swept away by the raging waters, and 82.3 hectares of aquaculture ponds submerged. Even essential irrigation infrastructure was not spared, with 4,190 meters of canals suffering landslides and damage, and the headworks of five water-regulating dams in Quang Ngai now buried under sediment.
The environmental fallout extends to severe riverbank erosion, which poses an immediate threat to numerous riverside homes and critical construction sites. The Thac Ngua Bridge project in Khanh Hoa Province saw several excavators reportedly submerged by rapidly rising floodwaters, their booms barely visible above the surface.
While some areas are now experiencing a gradual easing of rainfall, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned of continued moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms across parts of central Vietnam until at least the morning of November 12. The high levels of soil saturation across the entire region mean that the risk of further flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence remains exceptionally high. Authorities continue to monitor river levels closely; while some, like the Tra Khuc River in Quang Ngai, have begun to recede below initial warning levels, others, including the Kon River in Gia Lai and the Ky Lo River in Dak Lak, remain above critical alert thresholds, demanding continued vigilance.
In response to the unfolding crisis, government bodies and local authorities mobilized extensive resources. The National Civil Defence Steering Committee urged affected localities to maintain round-the-clock monitoring of weather and flood warnings, ensuring prompt dissemination of information and organized evacuations from high-risk zones. Efforts are underway to clear waterways, ensure traffic safety at compromised crossings, and rigorously inspect reservoirs and construction sites. Days prior to the peak of these events, the Prime Minister had issued Official Telegram No. 73/CD-TTg, emphasizing proactive preparedness and response measures.
Local forces, including military personnel, have been instrumental in the immediate response. In Da Nang, military commands mobilized personnel to assist residents and students in heavily flooded areas, often wading through chest-deep water. In Quang Tri, teams worked tirelessly to clear hundreds of cubic meters of earth and rocks from arterial roads, partially reopening vital routes and re-establishing connectivity. Furthermore, timely pre-emptive evacuations proved crucial in preventing casualties, such as in Tra My Commune, Da Nang, where a mountain landslide caused a house wall to collapse, but residents had already been moved to safety following early warnings. Similarly, in Tra Leng Commune, 20 households were evacuated after dangerous landslide cracks were detected.