Storm-ravaged Vietnamese province closes beaches with Sonca bearing down

By Hai Binh July 24, 2017 | 08:00 pm PT

People try to cross a road which has been flooded by downpours in the aftermath of Talas storm in Nghe An last week. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Binh

Nghe An and its neighbors are still struggling to recover from the first storm of the season to make landfall last week.

Nghe An Province in central Vietnam has closed all local beaches and instructed fishing boats to return to shore with Tropical Storm Sonca expected to make landfall in the area on Tuesday.

The coastal province, known for Cua Lo and other beautiful beaches, raised the official alert on Monday evening, asking everyone to be prepared.

Sonca, the fourth storm to form off Vietnam’s coast this year, is forecast to make landfall between 4 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday night, directly hitting central provinces, while the Central Highlands may also be affected.

Officials said 127 fishing boats from the province were still offshore as of Monday night, and that mountainous communities will be at risk from flash floods and landslides.

The National Center For Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said Sonca will be weaker than Talas but will have a wider impact on the area.

Tropical Storm Talas took a heavy toll on Vietnam when it made landfall last week, killing at least eight people and causing damage worth more than VND993 billion ($43.7 million), including thousands of damaged homes and flooded fields.