Heavy rains since late October have caused severe flooding in central Vietnam, killing at least 16 people and leaving five missing. Rescuers used boats and helicopters to evacuate residents from submerged homes, and more than 43,000 houses were flooded. Rivers in Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa rose to record levels while some highland areas recorded up to 600 mm of rain. Officials reported significant economic losses so far this year, and experts link the intensifying storms to human-driven climate change.
Central Vietnam Floods Kill at Least 16 as Rivers Surge to Decades-High Levels
Heavy rains since late October have caused severe flooding in central Vietnam, killing at least 16 people and leaving five missing. Rescuers used boats and helicopters to evacuate residents from submerged homes, and more than 43,000 houses were flooded. Rivers in Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa rose to record levels while some highland areas recorded up to 600 mm of rain. Officials reported significant economic losses so far this year, and experts link the intensifying storms to human-driven climate change.
02:09 PM, 11/20/2025Environment
At least 16 people have died and five remain missing after relentless rains since late October triggered widespread flooding across central Vietnam, officials said Thursday.
Rescue teams have been racing to reach stranded residents as rivers and low-lying areas were inundated. In the central provinces of Gia Lai and Dak Lak, crews in boats forced open windows and cut through roofs to evacuate people trapped by rising water. Authorities also deployed helicopters to search for those cut off by the floods and landslides.
More than 43,000 homes were submerged and multiple major roads remained blocked by landslides and debris. In coastal Nha Trang, entire blocks were underwater and hundreds of vehicles were submerged. Highland passes near Da Lat saw several deadly landslides, with some locations recording up to 600 millimetres (about two feet) of rain since the weekend.
Hydrological monitoring showed that water levels on the Ba River in Dak Lak exceeded records set in 1993 at two measurement points early Thursday, while the Cai River in Khanh Hoa province also surged to a new high. Officials said the extreme flooding was driven by heavy rains that compounded already elevated river levels.
Vietnam's national statistics indicate that from January through October the country recorded 279 people dead or missing from natural disasters and more than $2 billion in economic losses. While Vietnam typically experiences heavy seasonal rains from June to September, scientists increasingly point to human-driven climate change as a factor making extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.
Ongoing response: Search-and-rescue operations continue, emergency hotlines have seen high call volumes, and local authorities are coordinating evacuations, temporary shelters and damage assessments. Residents have been urged to avoid flooded areas and follow official guidance as recovery efforts proceed.