Heavy rains and flooding after Typhoon Bualoi raise death toll to 19 in Vietnam

Lingering heavy rains from a former typhoon caused more flooding and landslides in Vietnam, raising the death toll to 19 in the country with more missing.

Rainfall topped 30 centimeters (nearly a foot) in parts of Vietnam over the past 24 hours, the national weather agency said Tuesday. It warned that heavy downpours would continue.

The prolonged rain triggered flash floods and landslides that cut off roads and isolated communities from the northern mountains of Son La and Lao Cai provinces to central Nghe An province. Rivers swollen by downpours and dam discharges have caused widespread flooding and landslides in the north. The Thao River in Yen Bai rose well above emergency levels overnight, sending water up to a meter deep (3 feet) into homes and forcing evacuations.

Many streets in the capital, Hanoi, were flooded and authorities warned that people close to the Red River, which passes through the city, should take precautions.

State media said Tuesday that authorities were still searching for 13 missing people, including eight fishermen. Bualoi had already caused at least 20 deaths in the Philippines since Friday.

It made landfall in Vietnam early Monday then lingered, which increased the danger.

Global warming is making storms like these stronger and wetter, according to experts, since warmer oceans provide tropical storms with more fuel, driving more intense winds, heavier rainfall and shifting precipitation patterns across East Asia.

AP