Floodwaters swept away a bridge to Nhôn Mai Village in Nghệ An Province late yesterday afternoon, isolating 200 households. VNA/VNS Photos

NGHỆ AN — The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has issued an urgent directive ordering emergency measures as floodwaters on the Cả River in Nghệ An Province surge beyond alarm level 3, posing severe risks of inundation and landslides in north-central provinces.

Late on July 22, Minister of Agriculture and Environment sent an official telegram to relevant agencies, requesting swift action to cope with prolonged heavy rainfall and rising water levels caused by Typhoon Wipha’s circulation.

According to the directive, torrential rain on July 22 triggered severe flooding in the upper reaches of the Cả River, where water levels have surpassed alarm level 3. Downstream sections are forecast to rise to the same level in the coming hours. The disaster risk level for flooding has been classified as level 3.

Authorities in Nghệ An and Thanh Hóa were told to urgently review evacuation plans and relocate residents from low-lying areas, riverside communities, and zones at high risk of landslides and flash floods to safe locations.

A house in Nhôn Mai Commune was swept away by floodwaters.

The Directorate for Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention reported that as of 5pm on July 22, strong winds from Typhoon Wipha had damaged 79 houses in Nghệ An, blowing off their roofs.

Heavy rainfall has also inundated more than 107,200 hectares of rice fields across several provinces, including 26,000 hectares in Hưng Yên Province, over 74,000 hectares in Ninh Bình Province , and 7,200 hectares in Thanh Hóa Province. Local authorities have deployed pumping stations to drain floodwaters and mitigate crop losses.

Thanh Hóa has recorded extensive flooding after hours of relentless downpour. By the afternoon of July 22, hundreds of residential areas in low-lying and coastal zones were reported to be deeply submerged. VNS