Central Vietnam is reeling from historic flooding triggered by record-breaking rainfall earlier this week, submerging vast regions and turning the ancient town of Hoi An into a network of canals. Authorities confirmed on Thursday that at least 10 people have died and eight remain missing, as rivers swelled to levels not seen in six decades.
The city of Hue recorded an astonishing 1,700 millimetres of rain within 24 hours on October 27, setting a new national record for rainfall intensity, according to Vietnam’s national weather bureau. This deluge has inundated homes, farmlands, and infrastructure across several central provinces, including Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Thua Thien-Hue, and Danang.
🚨 Nguyen Van Nguyen told AFP he had never witnessed such a terrible flood in 60 years. 📍 Nguyên, Vietnam.
— Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) October 9, 2025
8 dead, 200,000 affected,-DDPM
Nguyen City, 80 km (50 miles) north of Hanoi, left residents stranded or evacuating.
Rivers reach highest levels in nearly 40 years,-NDTV pic.twitter.com/Lq6snsNSiC
The Thu Bon River, which flows through Danang before reaching Hoi An, rose to 5.62 metres late Wednesday, surpassing the previous high from 1964 by four centimetres. The overflowing river has transformed Hoi An’s historic streets into waterlogged canals, with residents navigating by boat and wading through waist-deep floodwaters.
Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is among the worst-hit areas. By Thursday morning, much of the town’s ancient quarter was submerged, with ground floors of houses and shops underwater.
“I have never experienced this in my whole life living here,” said Tran Thi Ky, 57, who watched floodwaters engulf her home. “Our refrigerator, kitchenware, and wooden furniture are all underwater. Finally, we gave up trying to save them.”
The human toll continues to rise. At least 10 people are confirmed dead, with nine reported earlier this week before additional casualties were recorded. More than 8,600 residents have been evacuated across four central provinces, and over 200,000 households are without electricity, according to the environment ministry.
Critical rail services connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been suspended indefinitely, cutting off a major transportation lifeline. Flooding and landslides have also damaged or blocked several roads, including mountain passes between Danang and Quang Ngai, where rescue teams have been using drones to deliver food and water to stranded travelers.
This disaster echoes the severe flooding of late 2020 and underscores the urgent need for climate adaptation and infrastructure resilience in Vietnam’s vulnerable coastal regions.
Natural disasters have already left 187 people dead or missing nationwide in the first nine months of 2025, with economic losses exceeding US $610 million, according to government figures.
As the waters begin to recede, Hoi An and neighboring provinces face not just the immense task of recovery, but also a reckoning — how to safeguard lives, heritage, and livelihoods in the face of a changing climate.
