Authorities evacuate residents as storm Narra triggers flooding in northern Vietnam

LANG SON, Vietnam – Downpours from storm Narra, the fourth storm to hit the East Vietnam Sea this year, have caused widespread flooding and landslides in the northern provinces of Lang Son and Bac Ninh, prompting police, soldiers, and local authorities to evacuate residents and protect property. In Lang Son, police units were ordered to check areas at risk of flooding, landslides, and flash floods after torrential rain battered various parts of the mountainous province from Friday night through Saturday morning, with nearly 100 police officers using motorboats, inflatable boats, and other equipment to help more than 200 business households move goods and property out of flooded areas at Gieng Vuong Market in Dong Kinh Ward, while two injured residents were given first aid and taken to safety.

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In Ky Lua Ward, rising water levels in the Ky Cung River and Lao Ly Stream flooded several households around Ban Nga Market, with local police and other forces helping residents evacuate and move their belongings. Authorities have urged residents to closely monitor weather forecasts and official warnings, and avoid crossing deep floodwaters, low-water crossings, bridges, and roads at risk of landslides. A delegation led by Tran Thanh Nhan, vice-chairwoman of the Lang Son administration, inspected Ban Lai Reservoir and areas in Mau Son and Loc Binh Communes, with the reservoir's water level standing at 303.6 metres while its operator continued retaining water to reduce flooding downstream.

In neighbouring Bac Ninh, intense rainfall from Thursday night through Saturday morning caused localised flooding, disrupted traffic, and affected agricultural production, particularly in mountainous areas, with Yen Dinh Commune recording approximately 200 millimetres of rain between Friday evening and Saturday morning. Rising river and stream levels threatened several sections of National Highway 31 and Provincial Road 291, while four low-water crossings were also flooded, and in Tay Yen Tu Commune, flooding at several crossings cut off travel, with a landslide damaging a rural road section from An Vinh Hamlet to Tuan Dao.

Authorities warned residents against traveling through flooded crossings, areas with strong currents, or landslide-prone locations, and in Son Dong Commune, authorities evacuated 14 households with 58 people to safe areas on Saturday morning, with some villages partially isolated as floodwaters continued rising and warning signs and checkpoints installed at deeply-flooded locations.

Six villages in Bien Dong Commune were inundated and cut off from surrounding areas, and the Bac Ninh Department of Agriculture and Environment reported that 454 hectares of farmland remained underwater, with water levels in some rivers expected to rise 2 to 5 metres in the coming days. As of Saturday afternoon, storm Narra was over the waters off Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, moving south-southwest at approximately 5 kilometres per hour with sustained winds of 62 to 74 kilometres per hour and gusts reaching up to 102 kilometres per hour, with the storm expected to move slowly southward while maintaining intensity before shifting its path toward the east.

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The weather agency said the storm could strengthen slightly due to relatively high sea-surface temperatures in the Gulf of Tonkin and its slow movement, with rainfall totals of 100 to 200 millimetres expected in northeastern areas, Phu Tho Province, and Thanh Hoa Province, while Quang Ninh and Hai Phong could receive 250 to 350 millimetres and Lang Son and Bac Ninh are forecast to receive 200 to 300 millimetres, with isolated areas exceeding 500 millimetres. Hanoi is also expected to experience moderate to heavy rain of 100 to 200 millimetres through Monday night, with the possibility of localised flooding, thunderstorms, whirlwinds, and strong gusts that could cause trees and advertising signs to fall.