Typhoon Kajiki slams central Vietnam with destructive winds and torrential rain

The storm’s eye struck the Nghe An–Ha Tinh coastline around 3 p.m., where powerful gusts toppled high-voltage lamp posts, sent rooftop water tanks crashing to the ground, and tore apart hotels and restaurants along the coast. At Thien Cam Beach, torrential rain reduced visibility to less than 20 meters, while the force of the winds rattled windows and ripped corrugated metal sheets from buildings.

Authorities in Ha Tinh reported widespread blackouts and unstable phone signals as residents huddled indoors or in reinforced shelters. In Nghe An’s Cua Lo Ward, 2,500 people were moved from vulnerable homes into safer buildings, while in Ha Tinh’s Vung Ang Ward, another 4,000 were evacuated.

Dangerous seas and rising tides

Kajiki also triggered fierce tidal surges. Seawater overflowed onto Ho Xuan Huong Street in Sam Son, Thanh Hoa Province, flooding large sections and prompting police to block access. Waves three to four meters high pounded Sam Son’s rocky shoreline, while in Quang Tri, rough seas smashed offshore fish cages.

On Con Co Island, 30 km off Quang Tri, waves reached four meters despite the storm skirting its edge. Nearly 400 residents and soldiers had been evacuated into underground shelters ahead of the typhoon.

Transport networks were paralyzed across the region. Ha Tinh police banned traffic on National Highway 1, and authorities shut sections of the North–South Expressway. Three passenger trains were suspended, while airports in Quang Tri and Thanh Hoa canceled or delayed flights. Vietnam Airlines warned of wider disruptions due to the storm’s impact.

Flash flood and landslide threats

Meteorologists warned that Kajiki’s greatest danger lies in torrential rains and the risk of flash floods and landslides. Rainfall reached 373 mm in Ha Tinh’s Ky Lam and 350 mm in Quang Tri’s Duc Hoa by Monday afternoon, leaving nearly 400 communes at high risk of landslides.

Floodwaters surged along the Gianh River in Quang Binh and rivers across Ha Tinh and Quang Tri, with levels exceeding alarm thresholds. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicted further flooding through Aug. 28 in rivers from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri, and in the northern mountains of Lao Cai and Phu Tho.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued an urgent directive ordering mass evacuations from landslide-prone areas, with police and military forces mobilized to assist. The Ministries of National Defense and Public Security deployed helicopters and rescue equipment, while provincial authorities reinforced sea dikes and designated hotels and schools as storm shelters.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, stationed at the forward command post in Nghe An, instructed localities to ensure residents stayed indoors between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., the storm’s most dangerous window.

One of the strongest storms in decades

Kajiki formed over Luzon, the Philippines, on Aug. 23 before intensifying rapidly over the South China Sea. With winds peaking at 166 kph offshore and maintaining high intensity at landfall, the storm has drawn comparisons to Typhoon Yagi, which devastated northern Vietnam in September 2024.

Forecasters warned that even after Kajiki weakens over Laos, central Vietnam faces days of torrential rainfall, swollen rivers, and heightened risks of landslides and flash floods.