UPDATE: Vietnam is mobilizing an urgent evacuation of 250,000 people as Typhoon Bualoi approaches, with winds reaching 130 km/h (80 mph). The government has deployed 100,000 military personnel to assist in evacuations, shutting down multiple airports and issuing severe weather warnings.
As the typhoon barrels towards the coast, expected to make landfall later today, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for the “highest level of readiness.” The meteorology agency warns that Bualoi is a rapidly moving storm capable of causing multiple natural disasters, including heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides.
In Da Nang, the largest city in Vietnam, more than 210,000 residents are being evacuated. Additionally, over 32,000 people in Hue are being relocated to safer areas. In Ha Tinh, known for its steel production, authorities are moving over 15,000 residents to temporary shelters at schools and medical centers.
As the storm approaches, reports indicate that three fishermen from Ho Chi Minh City have gone missing after their vessel sank off the coast of Quang Tri Province. Large waves disabled another fishing boat, with eight crew members rescued. The vessels were stranded about 1.5 km from the Cua Viet Channel.
In preparation for Bualoi’s landfall, the government has shut down four domestic airports and ordered all fishing boats in the storm’s path back to harbor. Coastal residents are also being instructed to secure their vessels.
“I feel a bit anxious but still hopeful that everything will be fine,” said Nguyen Cuong, a resident of Ha Tinh City. “We were all safe after the recent typhoon Kajiki. I hope this one will be the same or less severe.”
Bualoi has already wreaked havoc in the Philippines, where it caused mudslides and flooding, leading to at least 10 fatalities and 10 missing persons. Experts warn that storms are intensifying due to climate change, with Vietnam experiencing over 100 casualties from natural disasters in the first seven months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
In September 2024, Vietnam suffered $3.3 billion in economic losses from Typhoon Yagi, which resulted in hundreds of deaths. As Typhoon Bualoi approaches, the nation braces for potential disaster, and residents are urged to stay informed and safe.
Stay tuned for live updates as this situation develops.