At least 10 dead as Tropical Storm “Noul” wreaks havoc in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar

At least 10 people lost their lives, properties were damaged or destroyed, and hundreds of thousands were affected as Tropical Storm "Noul" ripped through parts of Southeast Asia — from Vietnam, where it caused the most damage (amounting to 10 million dollars) as well as the most fatalities, to Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. 

The storm made landfall in Vietnam, between the provinces of Quảng Trị and Thừa Thiên-Huế, at 03:00 UTC on September 18.

In central Vietnam, Noul claimed six lives, injured 112 others, and knocked down over 10 000 trees and several power lines that cut electricity to more than 280 000 households.

The worst affected province was Thua Thien-Hue, where four deaths were reported and 10 houses were completely destroyed, according to the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

Winds of up to 90 km/h (56 mph) and rains peaking at 310 mm (12 inches) were recorded, triggering floods and causing up to 200 billion dongs or 10 million dollars in damage.

Thousands of other houses suffered damage, mostly due to strong winds. Around 50 000 people were evacuated in the affected provinces.

As the storm headed further inland, parts of Laos were drenched by heavy rains, resulting in floods in Xekong and Champassak provinces.

According to Radio Free Asia, one monk remarked that it was the heaviest flooding in the area in 50 years. Floodwaters infiltrated temples and ravaged roads and rice fields.

The storm then made its way to Thailand around September 19, affecting more than 1 900 families across 27 provinces– 22 of which have been severely inundated due to excessive rainwater.

Infrastructures, farms, and villages have been damaged in the past few days, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Director-General Chayaphol Thitisak. 

One casualty was reported in Ranong Province after strong winds uprooted a tree, knocking off the victim.

In Myanmar, at least three people were killed and more than 220 houses were destroyed by strong winds, heavy rain, and tidal waves brought by the storm, which affected three regions for several days, an official from the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement confirmed Monday, September 21.

Dr. Min Thein, director of disaster management, said more than 9 500 locals from over 2 200 families were affected by the storm in the regions of Taninthayi and Bago, as well as in Mon state.

The remnants of the storm brought heavy rains and some damage to parts of India and Bangladesh. No deaths and injuries were reported.

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