Severe flooding has devastated central Vietnam this week, claiming at least 10 lives and leaving eight others missing as rivers reached their highest levels in over six decades. Heavy rainfall, measuring up to 1.7 meters within 24 hours, submerged homes, destroyed crops, and turned historic cities like Hoi An into waterlogged canals. Authorities reported that more than 128,000 houses across five central provinces were inundated, with water reaching depths of up to three meters in certain areas.
Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site, witnessed dramatic scenes as residents navigated wooden boats through waist-deep water along its flooded streets. Local families desperately tried to raise their furniture, refrigerators, and household items to safety, but many homes were completely submerged. “I have never experienced this in my whole life living here,” said a 57-year-old resident, watching from the balcony of her two-storey home surrounded by floodwaters.
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Meanwhile, infrastructure damage has been widespread, with several kilometers of roads destroyed or blocked by landslides. Over 5,000 hectares of crops were washed away, and more than 16,000 livestock perished amid the disaster. Rescue teams used drones to deliver water and food supplies to stranded people, including around 50 individuals trapped on a mountain pass linking Danang and Quang Ngai provinces. Authorities said the situation remains critical, with emergency crews working around the clock to restore access and deliver aid.
The national weather bureau confirmed that the Thu Bon River, which flows through Danang and Hoi An, had surpassed its previous record from 1964 by four centimeters, reaching an alarming 5.62 meters. Although water levels have begun to recede slowly in some regions, forecasters warned that flooding would remain at dangerous levels for the next several days. Residents of Danang and Hue continue to struggle with prolonged inundation, with cleanup operations delayed by ongoing rainfall.
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Experts link the intensifying floods to human-driven climate change, which has made storms and rainfall more severe and unpredictable. In the first nine months of 2025 alone, natural disasters—including floods, landslides, and storms—claimed 187 lives across Vietnam and caused over $610 million in damages. With the latest floods being the worst in decades, authorities are urging stronger climate resilience measures to protect vulnerable communities and reduce the growing toll of extreme weather events.