Typhoon Vamco brings chaos to central Vietnam
Vamco is the ninth storm that has hit central Vietnam over more than a month.
Storm Vamco made landfall in localities of Ha Tinh and Thua Thien-Hue provinces at around 11:00 am on November 15, uprooting trees and damaging properties, Kinh te & Do thi reported.
Vamco uprooted large trees in Thua Thien-Hue province. Photo: Quang Hai/Kinhtedothi.vn |
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), the typhoon was traveling in northwest direction with winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour (kph) at 7:00 am. It made landfall in Ha Tinh and Thua Thien-Hue provinces before weakening into a tropical depression around noon.
Violent storm Vamco also caused high tide which wrecked a portion of Danang city, according to the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority.
The authority added that Vamco uprooted trees and strong wind blew away metal roofs of houses in Thua Thien-Hue province. Besides, strong waves pounded the residents’ properties in Quang Tri province.
Vamco is the third storm in the East Sea, also known as the South China Sea, in November and the 13th this year that has hit Vietnam this year. It has killed at least 42 people and left 20 others missing in the Philippines where it hit the main island of Luzon late on Wednesday and early Thursday, Reuters reported.
| Embankment of the Han river in Danang city was damaged by big waves and a rise in sea and river levels. Photo: Quang Hai/Kinhtedothi.vn |
People in Vietnam's central localities were urged not to leave home from Saturday afternoon onward.
Typhoon Vamco weakened into a tropical storm as it ripped through provinces of Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue with life-threatening conditions expected to last throughout Sunday. The depression is moving west-northwestward at about 15-20kph, with maximum sustained winds of 90kph near its center.
Vamco is the ninth storm that has hit central Vietnam in more than a month. Portions of the region received 1,270-2,540 mm of precipitations during last month which led to widespread and deadly flooding there.
In October, the central region suffered from torrential rains, widespread flooding and landslides after being hit by four storms. At least 235 people were killed or went missing and almost 390,000 houses were inundated, according to the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority.
