Vietnam is set to evacuate over 250,000 coastal residents on Sunday as Typhoon Bualoi approaches, threatening the nation’s central steel-producing region.
This will be Vietnam’s 10th storm this year, currently generating winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) at sea, with landfall anticipated at 7:00 pm (1200 GMT), according to the meteorology agency.
Danang, the largest city in central Vietnam, plans to relocate more than 210,000 residents, while state media reports that Hue will move over 32,000 residents from coastal zones to safer locations.
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Authorities have arranged for the evacuation of over 15,000 residents in Ha Tinh, a significant steel production area, to schools and medical centers turned into temporary shelters.
Nearly 117,000 military personnel have been deployed. Four domestic airports are closed, and all fishing boats in the typhoon’s path have returned to harbor.
“I feel anxious but hopeful that we’ll be safe. We managed well after Typhoon Kajiki, and I hope this one will be similar or less severe,” said Nguyen Cuong, 29, a resident of Ha Tinh City, to AFP.
The typhoon is expected to hit with winds of about 133 kph as it reaches the coast Sunday evening, according to Vietnam’s National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
“This rapidly moving storm has a strong intensity and extensive impact, potentially causing multiple natural disasters like strong winds, heavy rain, floods, landslides, and coastal inundation,” said Mai Van Khiem, the center’s director, as quoted by state media.
Scientists indicate that storms are gaining strength due to climate change driven by human activity.
In the first seven months of 2025, over 100 people in Vietnam were killed or went missing due to natural disasters, as reported by the agriculture ministry.
Last September, Typhoon Yagi inflicted $3.3 billion in economic damage in Vietnam, causing numerous fatalities as it swept through the north.
