THANH HOÁ — An unexpected hailstorm accompanied by a whirlwind occurred over the weekend in the central province of Thanh Hoá, causing devastating damage in its wake, the online newspaper Vietnamplus reported. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.

Hundreds of houses in the mountainous districts of Như Xuân and Như Thanh had their roofs ripped off.

On the section of provincial road 506 that runs through Mậu Lâm Commune of Như Xuân, trees and electrical poles were variously snapped or toppled, taking down numerous power lines with them, resulting in local power outage.

Hundreds of hectares of crops sustained considerable damage, battered by strong gusts and heavy rain.

Locals claimed they had never before witnessed such a powerful hailstorm in the middle of March, saying each pellet ranging from the size of a corn kernel to a finger.

According to Như Thanh District authorities, the four communes that have been affected saw a total of 235ha of rice and 93ha of corn and other crops ruined. Seven electrical poles felled and over 2km of power lines brought down.

Thạch Thành District also reported several hectares of crops affected and 100 houses wrecked.

Local authorities have deployed competent forces to help people cope with the situation and clear up the hailstorm-hit area. Those with damaged houses are eligible for financial support to repair their homes. Depending on the severity, food and other necessities will also be provided to the affected population. 

Also during the weekend, several localities of the northern mountainous province of Điện Biên witnessed a strong hailstorm and whirlwind lasting half an hour.

Vũ Xuân Linh, vice chairman of the Mường Lay Town, one of the affected area, said the gusts have torn the roofs of several buildings, including a stadium. However, since farmers have just finished their crops so there were barely any damages to agricultural production, he said.

This has been the second strong hailstorm taking place in the province in 2017, with the last one occurring less than a week from the latest one. — VNS