Typhoon Bualoi Kills 19 in Vietnam, Leaves Widespread Flooding and Damage

Hanoi, Vietnam – Typhoon Bualoi made landfall in central Vietnam late Sunday, unleashing winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) and lingering over land for nearly 12 hours — an unusually long duration, according to weather officials.

“This typhoon — the tenth to hit Vietnam this year — was a serious natural disaster, bringing a combination of strong winds, huge flash floods and widespread flooding,” said Mai Van Khiem, head of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

By Tuesday, authorities confirmed 19 dead and more than 80 injured, while at least 21 people remain missing, including sailors whose fishing vessels were swept away. The Ministry of Environment reported that over 100,000 houses were damaged, with some 2,700 families stranded in Ha Tinh province.

Residents described devastation not seen in decades. “My house and garden are all flooded,” said Le Hong Luyen, 62, from Nghe An province.

The storm also destroyed 225 square kilometres of farmland, uprooted 10,000 trees, and knocked down power lines, leaving parts of central Vietnam without electricity. In Hanoi, heavy rainfall brought traffic to a standstill as floodwaters reached motorbike handlebars.

Typhoon Bualoi had earlier battered the Philippines, where it killed 27 people and displaced 400,000 residents.

Vietnam, regularly struck by tropical storms, has already suffered $371 million in weather-related losses this year, triple the amount in 2024. Experts warn that climate change is intensifying typhoons, making them more destructive and deadly.