On the morning of May 5, the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment released a report summarizing damage caused by hailstorms, thunderstorms, whirlwinds and lightning from the evening of May 2 to the morning of May 5.
Affected localities include Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Thai Nguyen, Dien Bien, Phu Tho, Hanoi, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Dong Nai.
According to the report, 3,110 houses were damaged or had their roofs blown off. The hardest-hit areas include Thai Nguyen with 1,382 houses, Nghe An with 953, Phu Tho with 376 and Tuyen Quang with 159.
In agriculture, a total of 15,722 hectares of rice and crops were affected. Nghe An suffered the most damage with 7,560 hectares, followed by Ha Tinh with 5,827 hectares, Dien Bien with 771 hectares, Thai Nguyen with 764 hectares and Hanoi with 307 hectares.
Thunderstorms also damaged 25 schools, including 14 in Thai Nguyen, nine in Nghe An, and two in Tuyen Quang. Additionally, 12 community cultural houses were damaged, mainly in Nghe An, Thai Nguyen and Phu Tho.
Infrastructure was also damaged, with 103 power poles toppled and 100 meters of embankment eroded in Phu Tho and Nghe An. In Nghe An, lightning struck and ruptured a storage tank at Song Lam Sugar Joint Stock Company, causing about 2,000 tons of molasses to spill. In Quang Tri, one fishing vessel sank.
A total of 12 people were injured, including seven in Tuyen Quang and five in Thai Nguyen.
Authorities reported that local forces were promptly mobilized to assist residents in recovery efforts, stabilize livelihoods, and continue assessing the full extent of the damage.
