Central, Central Highlands localities race to recover from Storm Kalmaegi

Storm Kalmaegi, the 13th storm hitting Vietnam this year, weakened into a tropical depression on November 7 after wreaking havoc across the Central and Central Highlands regions, where authorities are now making all-out efforts to address its aftermath and restore normal life.

Typhoon Kalmaegi weakens into tropical depression, forecast to cause heavy rains

Central, Central Highlands localities respond to Typhoon Kalmaegi

Typhoon Kalmaegi moves faster, now about 310 km from Quy Nhon

According to Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA), the storm left five people dead and six injured. As of 7 a.m. on November 7, 52 houses had collapsed and 2,593 others were damaged or unroofed, including 2,412 in Gia Lai province. Nine fishing vessels were reported sunk.

Houses inundated by storm-triggered flooding

In Dak Lak province alone, the storm destroyed 12 houses, unroofed 326, and flooded 147. About 54,000 aquaculture cages were damaged, with estimated losses of 21 billion VND (over 798,000 USD), or roughly 30% of total output. Severe erosion occurred along Bach Dang embankment, with initial damage estimated at 150 billion VND. Several local roads were flooded or partially eroded.

Strong winds and torrential rain also caused serious disruptions to the power grid, cutting electricity to more than 1.6 million customers, of whom over 315,000 have since been reconnected. Sections of the railway in Dak Lak and Gia Lai were damaged.

In Quang Ngai, high waves and storm surges caused coastal erosion and flooding in several seaside areas, while strong gusts on the evening of November 6 tore the roofs off about 50 houses. In Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh province), powerful winds ripped off roofs, toppled trees, and caused widespread power and water outages.

Given the heavy losses, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Duc Phuoc on November 7 signed Decision No.2451/QD-TTg to urgently allocate 80 billion VND from the 2025 central budget’s contingency fund to support storm-hit localities, including 20 billion VND for Quang Ngai, and 30 billion VND each for Gia Lai and Dak Lak.

The Vietnam Railway Authority and the Vietnam Railways Corporation have mobilized all available personnel and resources to quickly restore transport routes and ensure the safety of travelers.

Meanwhile, the People’s Committee of Dak Lak province has issued a series of urgent directives for disaster response and recovery. By the morning of November 7, the province had completed the evacuation of 2,625 households, nearly 8,000 people, from high-risk areas, along with more than 1,200 residents from flood-prone zones to safer locations.

Source: VNA