Bracing for Impact
Vietnam shut down schools, airports, and evacuated thousands of residents on Monday as Typhoon Kajiki — the country’s most powerful storm of the year — barreled toward its northeastern coast.
The storm had already battered China’s Hainan Island on Sunday, toppling trees and drenching the region before crossing into the Gulf of Tonkin overnight. Kajiki carried sustained winds of 166 kph (103 mph), equivalent to a Category 2 Atlantic hurricane, according to Vietnam’s national weather agency.
Key Details
- Evacuations: More than 40,000 people moved from low-lying coastal communities by Monday morning.
- Curfew: Residents ordered to remain indoors from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time, per state media.
- Projected Landfall: Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces, late Monday afternoon into evening.
- Storm Category: Expected to weaken to a weak typhoon or strong tropical storm upon landfall.
- Military Mobilization: Over 300,000 personnel from the Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force on standby for rescues.
- Air Travel: Airports in central provinces closed; dozens of flights canceled or delayed.
- Schools: Closed for at least two days in Thanh Hoa.
Government Warnings
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged extreme caution, warning that Kajiki could unleash:
- Heavy rainfall
- Flash floods
- Landslides in coastal and mountainous regions
Officials described Kajiki as an “extremely dangerous fast-moving storm.”
The government has compared it to Typhoon Yagi — the catastrophic storm that hit Vietnam last year, killing nearly 300 people and causing widespread destruction. While Kajiki is weaker than Yagi, destructive winds and flooding remain a serious threat.
Emergency Preparations
Authorities began activating emergency measures Sunday:
- Plans to evacuate up to 587,000 residents in Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue, and Danang.
- Fishing vessels banned from leaving shore.
- Dams and flood walls reinforced.
- Businesses and homes boarded up, with sandbags stacked against flooding.
Forecasts warn of storm surges up to 1.5 meters and sea levels rising beyond 3.5 meters in vulnerable areas.
Threat to Farms and Villages
Kajiki’s torrential rain and winds threaten to:
- Inundate farmland
- Destroy crops
- Kill livestock
- Flood villages along the north-east and central coast
The China Meteorological Center predicts heavy rainfall across 13 provinces in Vietnam, as well as parts of Laos and Thailand, with 200–400 mm of rain expected in many areas and localized totals exceeding 600 mm.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts Kajiki will weaken into a tropical depression by early Tuesday as it moves inland.
Impact on China’s Hainan Island
Before turning toward Vietnam, Kajiki slammed Hainan Island on Sunday:
- Tourist city Sanya closed attractions, shuttered businesses, and suspended public transport.
- Videos showed trees crushing cars, blocking roads, and people struggling to stand against gale-force winds.
- In one clip, a motorcyclist became trapped under a fallen tree.
China issued a red typhoon alert, its highest warning level, on Sunday morning before downgrading it Monday. Still, heavy rain and strong winds were expected to continue across southern Hainan.
