HCMC – The two central provinces of Quang Binh and Ha Tinh are forecast to see heavy rains till the end of tomorrow, October 20, due to the combined impact of a cold spell and a tropical convergence zone passing through the central region.
Between 7 p.m. on October 18 and 7 a.m. today, October 19, many parts of the provinces experienced incessant downpours, with some places recording a high volume of rainfall measuring 378-586 millimeters, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
Medium to heavy rains also hit other central localities such as Nghe An, Thua Thien-Hue, Danang and Quang Nam.
In the next 6-12 hours, water levels in the Kien Giang River in Quang Binh’s Le Thuy District are likely to remain high, those in the Ngan Sau River in Ha Tinh and the Gianh River in Quang Binh will continue to rise, while those in the rivers running from Quang Tri to Thua Thien-Hue provinces will ebb.
By this evening, floodwaters in the Gianh and Kien Giang rivers could exceed alert level 3 to reach 10 meters and 4.7 meters, respectively.
From now till October 21, heavy floods are predicted to occur in the rivers of Ha Tinh and Quang Binh. Flashfloods and landslides could possibly occur in the mountainous areas running from the Nghe An to the Thua Thua Thien-Hue provinces. Moreover, massive flooding continues to hit the low-lying and urban areas of localities from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue.
Extreme weather conditions between October 6 and 18 in the central region had left 84 people dead, 38 missing, nearly 53,000 houses inundated with floodwaters and more than 23,700 houses damaged or collapsed.
Besides, 924 hectares of rice paddy and over 106 hectares of other crops had taken a hit, while over 461,000 animals were killed or washed away by floodwaters, according to the national steering committee of natural disaster prevention and control.
As for a fatal landslide incident in Huong Phung Commune, Huong Hoa District, Quang Tri Province, rescuers had found the bodies of 18 people who were among the 22 military officers and soldiers trapped in landslides by 11 a.m. today, Ha Si Dong, vice chairman of the province, confirmed.
The rescue forces are stepping up efforts to look for the rest.
