The ancient town of Hoi An was unusually quiet before Typhoon No. 13.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - As Typhoon No. 13 approached the mainland, Hoi An seemed to hold its breath. Shops closed, the central market turned off its lights, leaving a rare quiet atmosphere amidst the storm in Central Vietnam.

Before Typhoon Kalmaegi (Typhoon No. 13) made landfall, Hoi An ancient town was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to its usual hustle and bustle. From early afternoon, vendors hurriedly packed up their goods, covered their stalls, and prepared to cope with the typhoon, which was predicted to cause significant damage.

By 5 PM, the central market of the old city was almost silent, with only the sounds of rain and howling wind. Hundreds of vendors had simultaneously raised their goods, covered and secured their stalls to protect against rising water and strong winds.

Nguyen Hoang Street was getting dark earlier than usual, with all the shops and cafes closed. The Hoai River's water level had risen close to the sidewalks, signaling a potential flood risk.

Some households in the old quarter have used tarpaulins and ropes to cover their doorways and reinforce their houses against strong winds and heavy rain.

Nevertheless, a few tourists still managed to stroll through the streets and take photos at the attractions before the old town completely fell silent.

Ms. Anh, the owner of a coffee shop on Tran Phu Street, said she closed at 6 PM due to the rain, wind, and lack of customers. "It's safer to close early and reopen after the storm passes," Ms. Anh said.

Many other small business owners are also facing heavy losses from the previous flooding. Ms. Thuy An's (60 years old) fabric shop on Hoang Dieu Street has been closed for 10 days now because all of her fabric, worth 40 million VND, was damaged. Ms. An still hasn't dared to reopen, waiting to see if Typhoon No. 13 will continue to cause damage.

Ms. Huong Ly (from Hoi An Tay ward) is also unable to reopen her clothing store. She has had to wash and store her clothes on scaffolding nearly 1.8 meters high to avoid rising water. "Many items are damaged, and I'm still waiting for the weather to stabilize before I dare to clean up and put them back up for sale," Ms. Ly said.

On many houses in the old town, mud stains are still clearly visible on the doors and walls, a testament to the recent flooding and showing just how high the water level rose.

Currently, the entire Hoi An Old Town is almost completely shrouded in darkness. Shops and cafes have closed and ceased operations to avoid Typhoon No. 13, with only a few small lights emanating from houses.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/pho-co-hoi-an-vang-lang-la-thuong-truc-bao-so-13-20251106200926133.htm