Typhoon Bualoi Hits Vietnam, Causes Major Damage

Typhoon Bualoi battered the central Philippines last week and made landfall in central Vietnam late Sunday/early Monday with sustained winds around 117–133 km/h, lingering unusually long over land before weakening into a depression moving toward Laos. Authorities report at least 11 and possibly as many as 19 deaths across the region, dozens injured and numerous people — including many fishermen — still missing as search operations continue. Roughly 28,000–30,000 people were evacuated, fishing boats were grounded, four airports were closed with hundreds of flights delayed, and troops and police were deployed to assist rescue and relief efforts. The storm damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes (reports range from about 44,000 to over 100,000), uprooted trees, snapped power poles and cut electricity to hundreds of thousands of households, and flooded cropland. Officials warned of continuing heavy rain, flash floods and landslides as communities clean up, and scientists noted links to climate-driven increases in extreme storms after other recent typhoons in the region.