The storm-force wind and heavy rain isolated multiple places. By 4 p.m. on the same day, the storm downgraded into a tropical depression.
The Quang Tri Provincial Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue said circulation of storm Nongfa triggered torrential rain, strong winds and rising rivers above alert level 3, disrupting major transport arteries.
More than 21 areas have been deeply submerged and cut off.
Flooding inundated National Highway 9B, Route DT571 and a number of spillway bridges, isolating hundreds of residents in surrounding communes Huong Phung, Huong Hiep, Hieu Giang and Ben Quan.
Severe flooding in Quang Tri Province stranded five residents in a melaleuca forest for nearly two days, endangering their lives. After more than four hours of effort, local police successfully reached and rescued all five, bringing them to safety.
In response to the emergency, Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee Tran Phong urged authorities to remain vigilant and deploy comprehensive measures to safeguard residents.
The province has mobilized 85 rescue teams with 325 border guards across affected areas, along with 49 units of 180 officers stationed at critical points, supported by boats, canoes and other vehicles on standby for rescue operations.
In Ha Tinh Province, floodwaters from upstream rivers have inundated and cut off several areas. Authorities in Huong Xuan Commune evacuated 21 households with 71 people from landslide-prone zones. Local officials have set up barricades and stockpiled food and essentials for affected families.
Sections along National Highway 15 and the Ho Chi Minh Road are also under water, while large areas of Phuc Trach grapefruit orchards and summer–autumn rice fields remain submerged, at risk of severe damage.
In Hue City, torrential rains have pushed water levels in the Huong and Bo rivers close to the first warning threshold.
Local authorities have stockpiled hundreds of tons of food and secured fuel supplies. Military and police forces were mobilized to help residents harvest summer–autumn rice and reinforce fishponds and aquaculture facilities. So far, more than 3,800 of the city’s 25,000 hectares of rice have been harvested.
Mr. Mai Van Khiem, Head of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting indicated that storm No. 6 struck with sustained winds of force 8 (62-74 kilometers per hour) and gusts reaching force 10 to 11 (89-117 kilometers per hour).
The storm made landfall between Ha Tinh and northern Quang Tri by early afternoon on August 30 before weakening into a tropical depression as it moved towards central Laos. The system unleashed intense rainfall, exceeding 300 millimeters in some places, while strong winds were also recorded at sea and on islands.
Speaking to the press on August 30, Head of the Weather Forecasting Department at the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Nguyen Van Huong said that because the storm is moving quickly, at around 25 kilometers per hour, the heavy rainfall is not expected to last long and will only continue through August 31. From September 1, rain across the country is forecast to ease.
Regarding weather conditions for the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2), he noted that Hanoi may see showers in the morning and possible sunshine in the afternoon.
The Central region is also expected to see sunshine return from midday. In the Southern and Central Highlands region, daytime weather conditions will be sunny, with showers and thunderstorms possible in the evening.
Overall, weather across the country on National Day should be favorable for outdoor activities, Mr. Nguyen Van Huong forecast.
Although rainfall is expected to ease starting September 1, the North Central and Red River Delta regions will still face heavy downpours from the night of August 30 through August 31. The risk of flooding, inundation, landslides and flash floods remains high, especially as the area is still reeling from typhoon No. 5, with many locations already severely flooded.
In response, on the afternoon of August 31, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep issued an urgent directive to the People’s Committees of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh, calling for immediate measures to safeguard dike systems as river levels are forecast to rise to alert level 2–3.
Under the directive, local authorities must urgently review and implement dike protection plans, give priority to critical and high-risk areas, and take immediate action at sites with previous incidents that have not been repaired.
Besides, they must inspect ongoing dike construction projects. Patrol and guard forces must be strictly organized and required to comply with regulations in order to promptly detect and address any unusual developments.
