Viet Nam: Floods - Oct 1992

DHA-UNDRO/UNDP Resident Representative in Hanoi, on the basis of info by Vietnam National Committee for Flood and Storm Control, reports that torrential rains struck the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam-Da Nang for five days during last week. Rainfall recorded in these provinces ranges from 380 to 968 mms. Preliminary reports on disaster impact indicate: casualties: 22 killed, 6 missing, 9 persons injured, 68,360 houses flooded, 1339 collapsed and drifted away. Many schools were inundated and damaged. 12,000 ha of rice and 12,000 ha of other crops flooded and damaged. At Le Thuy and Quang Ninh districts (Quang Binh province), 80 percent of the area was submerged. Trung Son village in Quang Ninh district was heavily hit with most people losing all their property. (UN DHA, 12 Oct 1992)

The heavy torrential rains which hit six central provinces (Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thue Thien Hue and Quang Nam-Da Nang) during the period 5 to 9 October 1992 left many people in need of emergency assistance, washed away houses, devastated crops and caused widespread damage. Updated assessment of disaster impact as follows: death toll: 55, injured: 10, homeless: 7,579, people in need of urgent relief assistance: 44,109, houses submerged: 35,000, houses drifted away or damaged: 146,730, schools/classrooms collapsed/washed away or damaged: 487, hospitals/dispensaries submerged/damaged: 155. (UN DHA, 18 Oct 1992)

Torrential rains during four days (28 to 31 October 1992) again caused flooding in Quang Binh and Quang Tri, the two provinces which had been most seriously affected by the recent floods. In Quang Binh province, the average rainfall was about 400 mm. According to initial reports, one person died, 11 out of 14 villages in Quang Ninh district were again submerged, with 12,000 families (58,000 persons) being affected. In Le Thuy district, flood waters reached 1.5 to 2 meters and submerged 12 out of 27 villages. The highest rainfall was recorded in Truong Son community (616 mm), where nearly 3,000 people were displaced who had already become homeless during the previous floods. In Quang Tri province, many places were reported to be between 2.5 and 3 meters under water. The most affected districts are Cua Lo, Vinh Linh and Gio Linh where communications failed completely. Preliminary reports indicate: one person dead, 30 houses washed away, 80,000 houses inundated, 300,000 cubic meters of dykes washed away, hundreds of bridges and sluices washed away, about 1,000 ha of rice, manioc and other crops destroyed or, badly damaged. (UN DHA, 3 Nov 1992)