Flash floods in Vietnam have now claimed at least 19 lives, the government said Sunday, as residents in affected areas sought safety in higher ground.

Boasting a long coastline, tropical Vietnam is battered by floods and storms every year, with hundreds of lives lost from the annual monsoon barrage.

The remnants of Typhoon Son Tinh, now a tropical depression, made landfall Wednesday night, the third tropical storm to hit Vietnam since the start of the year.

The latest report from the country's disaster office said 19 people have been killed so far, with an additional 13 people unaccounted for.

Floods and landslide from heavy rains have ranged far and wide and impacted rural and urban areas, including the capital Hanoi.

They are expected to continue in the coming days.

State-controlled VNExpress news site reported Saturday that residents in Chuong My district on the outskirts of Hanoi were asked to leave their homes and get to higher ground for fear of heavy floods.

"We must be active in moving our furniture out of homes. From last year's experience, we did not have time to run," a local resident was quoted as saying.

Published photos showed homeowners in plastic raincosts moving bags of goods and livestock.

"My house is in a very low location so I have to move all the rice to higher places," resident Nguyen Duy Dong told VNExpress. "Since the afternoon, we have moved more than one tonne of rice."

The amount of land under seige has also spiked, with more than 15,000 houses damaged or destroyed and more than 110,000 hectares of crops inundated. Several roads have also disappeared under the water.

Vietnam's rainy season, like other countries in the region, is between June and November, but the death toll from stormy weather has often exceeded its neighbors.

Last year, 389 lives were claimed by natural disasters, with material damages reportedly reaching $2.6 billion, according to the government.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Japan PM meets rain disaster survivors, pledges more aid
Tokyo (AFP) July 13, 2018
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Friday with survivors of devastating rains that killed at least 204 people in flash flooding and landslides, as the government pledged more aid. The toll from the record rainfall has continued to rise, as rescue workers dig through the debris and find the remains of dozens of people reported missing. Top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Friday that the toll was now 204 dead, with 28 people still missing. Around 73,000 rescue workers including pol ... read more