Viet Nam: Floods - Oct 2003

Torrential rain that started on 14 October triggered flash floods and landslides in central Viet Nam. The floods have submerged 57,300 houses, of which 51,860 were in Quang Ngai Province, ruined at least 7,800 ha of rice, of which 6,000 ha were in Binh Dinh Province, and destroyed 231 irrigation systems. (OCHA, 21 Oct 2003)

Heavy rainfall during the period of 11–14 November 2003 resulted in water levels rising in all rivers from 0.02m to 3.21m. The sudden rise resulted in severe flash flooding in five provinces: Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan. Low-land area flooded, forming a vast lake destroying thousands of hectares of crops and rice fields. The economic loss to Viet Nam is estimated to be VND 371 billion (USD 24 million). (IFRC, 24 Nov 2003)