Heavy rains cause flooding in residential areas on Tôn Thất Thuyết Street, Đông Hà City, Quảng Trị Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Heavy rains, floods and thunderstorms sweeping through central Việt Nam in recent days have caused significant damage to lives, property and infrastructure, the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has reported.

Floodwaters claimed the life of a resident in Bắc Hóa Village, Quảng Bình Province, who drowned while attempting to rescue a student.

The floods damaged ten houses, ripping roofs off seven homes in Quảng Trị and three in Lâm Đồng.

Agricultural losses included 1.5ha of corn and 322 fruit trees in Lâm Đồng Province destroyed.

Infrastructure in Quảng Bình was severely impacted, with 52 sections of national highways submerged by up to 1.5m of water and a landslide occurring on another section.

A school in Quảng Trị was also damaged and nearly 1,000 households in Quảng Bình were cut off by the floods caused by rains from November 3 to November 6.

Evacuations were necessary for 328 households across affected areas, with 287 households in Quảng Bình and 41 in Thừa Thiên - Huế relocated to safety.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has issued a continued rainfall warning for the region from Quảng Trị to Khánh Hòa, predicting localised downpours of 50-100mm, with some areas receiving over 200mm until the end of Thursday.

The centre cautions that the rain, which may exceed 100mm in just six hours in certain areas, poses a significant flood and landslide risk for low-lying areas, small rivers and steep slopes. The natural disaster risk level for this storm period remains at level one.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has directed local authorities to adhere strictly to emergency directives, instructing provinces from Hà Tĩnh to Bình Định to proactively evacuate residents in high-risk areas.

Local agencies have been mobilised under the 'four on-the-spot' principle, ensuring emergency supplies, personnel, and equipment are ready to respond to all situations effectively.

Ministries and local authorities are coordinating efforts to safeguard reservoirs and downstream areas, carefully managing reservoir levels to mitigate further flood risk.

Personnel are on continuous duty, overseeing transport safety in affected areas, particularly on submerged routes, landslide-prone zones and other major thoroughfares.

Broadcasting and media agencies have been asked to increase public safety messages, keeping residents informed about weather developments. Coastal provinces are also advised to prepare for possible strong winds, high waves and thunderstorms at sea.

Emergency response teams are on standby across affected regions, with regular situation reports relayed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to ensure all action is coordinated and timely. — VNS