Natural disasters cost Vietnam $390 million in first 8 months

By Bui Hong Nhung   August 30, 2016 | 03:00 pm PT
Natural disasters cost Vietnam $390 million in first 8 months
Motorcyclists ride in heavy rain caused by typhoon Dianmu in Hanoi, Vietnam, August 19, 2016. Photo by Reuters/Kham
90 people have lost their lives to floods, typhoons and landslides so far this year.

Storms and typhoons this year have caused damage of VND8.7 trillion ($390 million) to Vietnam so far this year, according to data from the General Statistics Office.

Turbulent weather killed 90 people, injured 223 and pulled down 81,800 houses.

About 49,700 hectares (122,000 acres) of crops and 18,800 hectares of fish farms have been ruined by severe typhoons.

The country’s flagship carrier Vietnam Airlines had to cancel or reschedule scores of flights due to heavy rains coupled with strong winds in the first eight months.

With a coastline of 3,440 kilometers, Vietnam is prone to a wide range of disasters including floods, typhoons, landslides and drought. The country loses 1-1.5 percent of GDP annually due to natural disasters, according to the World Bank.

Floods and storms are the most common calamities, accounting for more than 40 percent of all natural disasters.

Floods occur primarily on the central plain, the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta where fatalities are high, while storms along the coastal region account for more physical damage.

The north and north-central regions are also hit by storms and typhoons that are accompanied by heavy rain and landslides.

Related news:

Hanoi houses remain submerged in wake of typhoon

Thousands of tours canceled as Typhoon Dianmu batters Vietnam

 
 
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