Hanoi (VNA) – Heavy rains and flooding triggered by Storm Matmo, the 11th to hit the East Sea this year, had damaged 1,577 houses and inundated 10,267 others as of 5pm on October 11, causing total losses of about 7.05 trillion VND (over 267 million USD), reported the Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Thai Nguyen province is the hardest-hit locality with losses valued at 4 trillion VND, followed by Cao Bang with 2 trillion VND and Lang Son with 1.05 trillion VND, the authority said.
Post-storm floods left 18 people dead or missing and injured 15 others. Around 34,388 ha of rice and other crops were submerged while 13,054 head of livestock and 701,389 poultry were reported dead or swept away.
Fifty-six dyke incidents were recorded in Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, and Hanoi. Several major dyke sections — including Cha, Ha Chau, Thai Nguyen, left and right banks of the Cau and Thuong – Duong Duc rivers, and the right bank of the Ca Lo River — required large-scale reinforcement to prevent overflow, covering a total length of about 25 kilometres.
Five national highway sections have been blocked due to landslides and flooding. With many areas still submerged, the Vietnam Railway Corporation has temporarily suspended operations and closed the Da Phuc – Trung Gia section and the Dong Anh – Quan Trieu railway line. Many rural roads remain heavily flooded and cut off, disrupting transportation.
Flooding also triggered power outages affecting 549,915 customers in Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Cao Bang, and Lang Son. So far, power has been restored for 473,773 customers.
On October 11, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued an urgent official dispatch, requesting measures to ensure dyke safety along the Cau, Thuong, and Ca Lo rivers.
The Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, in coordination with disaster risk mitigation partners, has organised working teams to evaluate damage and relief demand in the provinces of Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, Cao Bang, and Lang Son.
Regarding the exceptionally high floods on the Thuong and Cau rivers, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) reported that from 4:30 pm on October 11 to 3:30 am on October 12, water levels at the Dap Cau station on the Cau River continued to fall below Alarm Level 3. Meanwhile, levels at the Phu Lang Thuong station on the Thuong River was also receding but remained above Alarm Level 3.
In the next 12–24 hours, the water level on the Cau River is expected to continue falling but remain above Alarm Level 2 while levels on the Thuong River will keep receding yet stay above Alarm Level 3.
Flooding in Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Lang Son, and Hanoi continues in riverside communes and wards and may persist for another one to two days, particularly two to three days in low-lying areas. There is also a continued risk of riverbank and dyke erosion, as well as landslides on slopes in these regions, according to the NCHMF./.
VNA
