HANOI — Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall along Vietnam’s south-central coast on Thursday evening, unleashing destructive winds and torrential rain before racing inland and weakening by dawn Friday, authorities and local media said. The storm struck near Quy Nhon in Binh Dinh Province around 7 p.m. local time on November 6, then traversed the Central Highlands and reached southern Laos roughly six hours later, where it dissipated into a low-pressure system.

Toll and damage

At least five people were killed in Vietnam and several others injured, according to initial tallies from state media and provincial officials. The storm damaged roughly 2,800 homes—with more than 2,500 roofs torn off and 52 houses reported collapsed—and sank at least nine boats in coastal moorings. Power cuts rippled across the center of the country, leaving about 1.2–1.6 million customers without electricity at the peak, officials said. Railway infrastructure on the north–south line sustained damage, forcing passengers to be transferred by bus.

Where the storm is headed now

By early Friday, Kalmaegi had weakened to a remnant low over southern Laos and continued drifting westward away from Vietnam. Even as winds eased, forecasters warned of lingering heavy rainfall from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri and into the Central Highlands, with risks of flash floods and landslides in saturated terrain.

Government response

Vietnam’s central government activated forward command posts and mass evacuations ahead of landfall, temporarily closed six airports, and ordered fishing fleets ashore. After the storm, the Prime Minister approved an emergency relief package of 80 billion dong (about $3.2 million) for the hardest-hit provinces of Quang Ngai, Gia Lai and Dak Lak, while military regions mobilized large search-and-rescue contingents and supported rapid restoration of power and communications. Helicopters were dispatched to search for missing fishermen off Quang Ngai.

Reuters reported that authorities deployed more than 268,000 soldiers nationwide to support rescues and recovery operations, while warning of continued flood risk as swollen rivers ran off the highlands toward the coast. Traders said rains briefly spared core coffee areas from serious harm, but transport and power disruptions were widespread.

A country picking up the pieces

In storm-struck neighborhoods, residents picked through shattered roofing and downed trees. Along parts of the coast and in the highlands, schools and clinics were prioritized for repairs, with officials pledging that displaced families would have shelter, food and medical care as cleanup advanced. With the typhoon’s rapid cross-country push now over, the greatest hazards Friday were mudslides and renewed flooding in steep, rain-soaked catchments—threats authorities said would persist into the weekend even as skies began to clear.  (hb)