A sudden heavy rain fell on Khe Tran and Ha Long villages in mid-May, sweeping away all the shops and shacks of the people.

Don't be subjective.

One afternoon in mid-May 2025, a heavy rain suddenly poured down on Khe Tran and Ha Long villages (formerly Phong My commune, now Phong Dien ward, Hue city). In just a few minutes, water from the upper Ham Heo stream and A Don waterfall poured down, sweeping away all the shops and tents of service and tourism businesses along the stream and waterfall area.

“I have never seen floodwaters come so quickly. While business was going smoothly, it suddenly started to rain and in just a moment, the flood swept everything away. Luckily there were no casualties, but property damage is estimated to be tens of millions of dong - a huge amount for the people here,” said Nguyen Van, a shop owner at the Ham Heo stream tourist area.

According to the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Control and Search and Rescue of Hue City, there are currently nearly 50 locations in the city at high risk of flash floods, landslides, avalanches and rockfalls. These hotspots are mainly located in the midlands and mountainous areas - where the terrain is steep, the soil and rocks are loose and easily affected by heavy rain.

The common characteristics of these areas are weak soil, loose structure, and frequent heavy rains in a short period of time. Just one extreme rain is enough to cause large-scale landslides, threatening people's lives and property.

“Living with natural disasters” - not just a slogan

According to meteorological experts, the weather situation in the Central region in general, and Hue City in particular, is being increasingly affected by climate change. Summer is no longer as dry as before, but instead there are unseasonal rains, violent thunderstorms occurring with high frequency, accompanied by thunder, strong gusts of wind and heavy rain in a short period of time, which can easily cause flash floods.

The temperature difference between low and high areas creates strong convection currents, forming unusual storm clouds. From there, extreme weather phenomena such as thunderstorms, hail, and even localized floods can appear at any time of the year, even in the middle of summer.

Remember, in mid-June 2025, people in Hue City witnessed flooding in the middle of summer. According to experienced, elderly people, this was a strange phenomenon of the weather. Heavy rain and floods damaged many rice fields and crops of people in low-lying areas in the localities.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Director of the Hue City Hydrometeorological Station, commented: This is an extremely special and unusual flood that occurred in Hue. Therefore, responding to the risk of landslides and flash floods cannot only rely on post-disaster responses, but requires a proactive, comprehensive and synchronous strategy right from the grassroots level. First of all, it is necessary to complete the early warning system in high-risk areas, especially mountainous areas, eco-tourism areas and communities. Points prone to flash floods and landslides need to be equipped with monitoring equipment and early warning sensors, directly connected to the disaster prevention and control control center.

In addition, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda and raise public awareness of signs and skills to respond to natural disasters. Introduce models of flash flood and landslide prevention and avoidance drills into residential areas, schools, and community tourism facilities so that people know how to react in emergency situations.

Article and photos: PHONG ANH

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/lu-quet-khong-cho-mua-155723.html