Many areas in the lower reaches of the Con River in Binh Dinh province were submerged on December 30. Many rice fields and roads lied under 0.5-1.5 meters of water. Floodwater devastated a vast of newly sown rice fields.
In the neighboring province of Phu Yen, swollen rivers in combination with floodwater release from hydropower and irrigation reservoirs worsened the situation. A man was reported swept away in Dong Xuan mountainous district.
Mr. Bui Van Thanh, chairman of Tuy An district People’s Committee, said that rain had abated in the district and floodwater started receding slowly in residential areas. So far, floodwater has totally destroyed 1,000 hectares of winter spring rice crop in the district.
On the same day, the Steering Committee for Natural Disasters Prevention, Search and Rescue in Thua Thien-Hue province, said that the ongoing northward cold front rendered in strong wind and big waves. These all were fueled with high tide to cause badly landslide at tens of spots along the coastline in the province.
Vinh Hai commune in Phu Loc district has a 3.3 kilometer long landslide spot. Floodwater has overflowed into Highway 21. An Duong hamlet, Phu Thuan commune has seen a 2 kilometer long and 5-8 meter wide landslide. The coastline landslide stretches along 3 kilometers in Phu Vang, Hai Duong districts and Huong Tra town.
At noon on December 30, the dead body of the last victim in a mountain landslide was found in Cam Lam district, Khanh Hoa province. The accident buried a house with five members of a family inside. As a result, three were killed including an eleven month baby.
The landslide buried two houses and forced many households to remove to shelters.
According to the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center, the cold front in combination with an east wind zone have unleashed medium to heavy rainfall in the south central region. Common precipitation measures 50-100mm. It reaches 115mm in Cam Lam district, Khanh Hoa province.
Under influence of the cold front, central provinces from Quang Binh to Ninh Thuan will continue seeing medium to heavy rainfall from now until January 3-4, 2019.
In addition, a low pressure zone is likely to intensify into a tropical depression or a storm in the southern apart of the East Sea. Therefore, flood level in rivers from Thua Thien-Hue to Ninh Thuan provinces might increase again and cause flash flood and flooding in mountainous and low lying areas.
The waters off provinces from Quang Ngai to Binh Thuan including Phu Quy Island has been rough and choppy.
The photos below show residential areas, roads and rice fields inundated in floodwater in Binh Dinh province:
