Natural disasters leave 166 dead, missing in Vietnam in 2023

The estimated economic damage is about VND8.23 trillion (US$339.38 million), an annual decrease of 58%, officials said at a conference held by the office of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control in Hanoi on Friday.

According to Hoang Phuc Lam, Deputy Director of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, this year Vietnam has so far seen eight storms and tropical depressions.

Severe heatwaves have occurred, with temperatures in some places reaching up to 44.2 degrees Celsius. Heavy rains have taken place in the central region, with 35 cities and provinces affected by floods and landslides.

Throughout the year, the center has implemented a comprehensive set of measures to enhance the detailed level of flood and landslide warning messages, focusing on applying new and modern technologies to determine more detailed rainfall thresholds. A real-time warning information system is being integrated into its related forecasting.