The center of Quy Nhon Ward in Gia Lai Province suffers widespread power outages after the storm swept through, leaving a trail of severe damage: many shops, hotels, and homes lost their roofs, and trees and billboards were toppled.
Typhoon Kalmaegi battered provinces across central Vietnam after making landfall on Thursday night, cutting electricity to more than 1.6 million households. According to the Central Power Corporation under Vietnam Electricity (EVN), by 6 p.m. on Friday, power had been restored to over 968,000 customers. The remaining outages were mainly in Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Quang Ngai, and Da Nang, where the power grid sustained heavy damage.
The lack of electricity has made cooking challenging. As a result, many families are relying on ready-made foods like sticky rice and bread. Food vendors have maintained stable pricing, with no reports of price gouging.
On Vo Lai Street, nearly a dozen members of Le Van Minh's family gathered for a candlelit dinner outside.
Minh explained their choice: “It’s too hot inside the house without electricity, especially for the elderly, so we have to stay outside.” The temperature in Quy Nhon on Friday evening was around 26 degrees C, with light winds.
Nearby, nearly ten members of Ka Le My Tam's family sat together in front of their home. “We were well-prepared, so our house wasn’t badly affected by the storm,” she said.
Joining neighbors on the porch, Nguyen Thanh Dong (L) noted the relief: “It’s too hot indoors, so I came out here for some fresh air.”
Travel within Quy Nhon Ward has been made difficult by the blackout, compounded by fallen electric poles that have yet to be cleared from the streets.
