Flooding in Vietnam has claimed 43 lives after days of heavy rain soaked key regions in the central highlands and caused rising waters in popular tourist spots. The government says about 61,000 people have been evacuated, while more than half a million remain without electricity. Flash flood and landslide warnings are now in place for six provinces as authorities struggle to reach isolated communities.
The hardest hit areas include Dak Lak, Vietnam’s largest coffee-producing province, where nearly 70 inches of rain fell since Sunday. The relentless downpour has delayed coffee harvests and threatens to reduce output in the world’s top robusta bean producer. Meanwhile, floodwaters have submerged entire neighborhoods in Nha Trang, a well-known beach resort in Khanh Hoa province, leaving hundreds of cars stranded. This comes just weeks after other major tourist destinations like Hue and Hoi An were hit by similar flooding.
Recent weeks have seen much higher than average rainfall across Southeast Asia, with totals running at least 270 millimeters above normal by mid-November. Weather experts predict the wet weather will continue into early December, especially along the northern central coast. Two climate factors are driving the heavy rains: an active La Niña pattern and a negative phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole. These conditions are expected to bring more rain to southern mainland Southeast Asia through January, according to regional meteorological forecasts.
Vietnam has also faced a tough year with at least 13 major storms causing widespread damage. From January to October, natural disasters have killed 241 people and caused over $2 billion in losses. In Khanh Hoa, one of the hardest hit provinces, some areas recorded 800 millimeters of rain in just one day this week. Authorities are still working to reach more than 300 households cut off by the floods.
The situation remains serious as rainfall continues, prompting emergency meetings and ongoing rescue efforts. Many hope that drier weather will come soon to help this part of Vietnam recover.