Heavy rain cuts off thousands of residents in central province Nghe An

NGHE AN, Vietnam – Torrential rain from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning caused widespread flooding, landslides, and the temporary isolation of thousands of households across the central province of Nghe An, with rising river and stream levels inundating roads and cutting off seven villages in Tam Thai Commune that are home to more than 3,000 residents.

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In Tam Thai Commune, several sections of Route 541B, including the spillway bridge leading to Xốp Nặm, Xỏng Con, and Khổi villages, were flooded, while sections of National Highway 7 were also inundated, prompting local authorities to advise residents to avoid deeply flooded areas and locations with strong currents. In Muong Tip Commune, a large amount of soil and rock from a mountainside slid onto Route 543D in Xốp Típ Village at around 7 a.m. on Thursday, completely blocking the road, with commune authorities immediately mobilising excavators and personnel to clear debris and restore traffic.

In Tam Quang Commune, rising water levels and fallen trees disrupted traffic, with a large tree in the Sang Le forest area blocking the road until authorities dispatched machinery to clear it. Diễn Châu Commune experienced severe flooding in Hải Bích Hamlet, with water levels reaching nearly one metre in some places, flooding roads and homes, forcing residents to wade through water and move belongings to higher ground. In Thanh Binh Thọ Commune, heavy rain damaged a section of a temporary diversion road near Khe Trằng Bridge, prompting authorities to fence off the site and ban pedestrians and vehicles from passing through due to safety concerns.

The Nghe An Hydro-Meteorological Station reported that many areas experienced heavy rainfall from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday, with some locations recording more than 100 millimetres and totals reaching 209 millimetres at Quỳnh Lưu Station. The provincial People's Committee issued an official dispatch instructing authorities to proactively respond to the developing disaster situation, with the committee chairman ordering departments and localities to closely monitor weather developments, review high-risk areas for flash floods and landslides, and prepare evacuation plans with protecting lives as the top priority.

Authorities were instructed to take decisive and timely action, with delays or negligence resulting in accountability to the provincial chairman. The provincial Hydro-Meteorological Station was tasked with continuing to monitor and forecast weather conditions, while the standing office of the provincial Civil Defence Command and the Department of Agriculture and Environment were instructed to maintain round-the-clock duty. Departments were required to implement measures ensuring the safety of people, vehicles, equipment, and infrastructure, with particular attention to dykes, reservoirs, dams, flood prevention systems, power and telecommunications, and transport and irrigation projects under construction.

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Given the complicated weather conditions, local authorities have been ordered to maintain personnel, vehicles, supplies, and other resources under the "four on-the-spot" motto, ensuring readiness to respond to emerging situations and minimise damage caused by natural disasters.