TOPSHOT - Rescue officials sift through debris at the site of a landslide in the remote mountainous village of Lang Nu, in Lao Cai province on 12 September 2024, in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi hitting northern Vietnam. Millions of people across Southeast Asia struggled on 12 September with flooded homes, power cuts and wrecked infrastructure after Typhoon Yagi swept through the region, as the death toll passed 200. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Typhoon Yagi is Over, But Its Aftermath Continues to Batter Vietnam

By Sara Mosqueda

12 September 2024

Even though Typhoon Yagi touched down on Vietnam and dissipated days ago, the storm’s aftermath continues to wreak damage and death. The resulting floods and landslides have caused almost 200 deaths, with more than 125 more people still listed as missing.

News reports place the death toll as high as 197, with more than 800 other people injured and 128 missing throughout areas of northern Vietnam, largely throughout the Lao Cai province, which borders China.

More than 50,000 people were evacuated from areas impacted by the storm. On 11 September, thousands of people left their homes in Hanoi, the nation’s capital, as the Red River’s water levels in and around the city rose to their highest point since 2004, indicating serious flooding, according to Al Jazeera.

Typhoon Yagi, the strongest cyclone to hit the nation in years, made landfall on 7 September. At its peak on Saturday, the storm had winds as fast as 92 mph. Although those winds decreased in speed by Sunday, heavy rainfall continued, leading to flooding.

One flash flood in the Lao Cai province wiped out the entire village of Lang Nu, with water rushing down from a nearby mountain. This flood resulted in at least 30 deaths, leaving only 12 confirmed survivors as rescue workers continue searching, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Roads and bridges in the region have been greatly affected by the storm and floods. On Monday, a bridge collapsed in the Phu Tho province, sweeping away a bus with an estimated 20 people inside. The last update on the bus came on Monday, listing that one survivor and four bodies had been found.

The UN estimated that more than 47,500 homes have been destroyed or damaged.

“The heavy rains also damaged factories in export-focused northern Vietnam’s industrial hubs,” the AP reported.

Damage to factories, warehouses and power networks could impact global supply chains, as good produced in Vietnam are exported to Europe, the United States, and other developed countries. “In industrial zones hosting factories in Haiphong and the neighboring province of Quang Ninh, 20 of 150 investors’ plants will be out of service for at least a few weeks,” Reuters reported.

Impacts to power systems caused by the cyclone included damaged electrical lines, with power outages still in effect in several areas, as of Thursday morning.