Many residential areas in Nghe An province are inundated. (photo: Sy Duc/VOV)

Preliminary statistics as of Tuesday evening showed that Wipha tore the roofs off many houses, eroded numerous dykes, inundated more than 120,000 hectares of rice and vegetables, and forced about 12,500 people in various provinces and cities to evacuate.

As of Wednesday morning, Nghe An province has been the hardest-hit locality. Heavy rains over the past two days caused rivers in Nghe An to rise, with some rivers exceeding previous records, inundating many communes. Muong Xen commune is deeply submerged, and many roads are paralyzed. Local authorities have evacuated residents, relocated property, and implemented a disaster response plan.

In Mi Ly commune, seven riverside villages have been completely flooded while 20 houses are submerged to the rooftop. Several areas have become isolated due to flooding and serious landslides. Several national and provincial roads have been flooded or badly eroded.

A policeman of Dong Cuong commune, Lao Cai province carries an old man from flood-prone area. (photo: Thua Xuan/VOV-Northwest Bureau)

On Tuesday night the Prime Minister issued an urgent dispatch on an emergency response to flooding in the Ca River basin in Nghe An province, requesting the authorities and relevant forces to ensure the safety of people, property, dykes, reservoirs, and hydropower plants.

Nguyen Van De, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee of Nghe An province, reported that 20 to 25 communes have been isolated by flooding. “The provincial People's Committee has directed the provincial Military Command, provincial Police, and relevant departments and agencies to mobilize all available forces and equipment to evacuate residents and property to safe areas and clear key transportation routes for rescue operations. All forces are doing their utmost to help affected communities.”

Coastal communes in Ninh Binh province, including Hai Thinh, Minh Thai, Con Thoi, and Dinh Hoa, have been affected by heavy rainfall and strong winds which uprooted many large trees, significantly damaged property, and disrupted transportation.

In Hung Yen province, gusty winds uprooted numerous trees and blew the roofs off several coastal homes near the Tan Son and Diem Dien fishing ports.

Thanh Hoa province recorded heavy rainfall, affecting people’s lives and agricultural production.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting estimates that from now until Friday, heavy rains are expected to continue in some localities in Son La, Lao Cai, Phu Thọ, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An province. Localities continue to closely monitor river levels and prepare to evacuate residents in areas at risk of flooding or landslides.