Yagi’s Fury: Vietnam Faces Destruction as Super Typhoon Makes Landfall

Asia’s most powerful storm of the year, Super Typhoon Yagi, made landfall in northern Vietnam on Saturday, resulting in at least four fatalities and leaving numerous injuries in its wake. The typhoon had previously impacted Hainan, China, and the Philippines, where it caused significant destruction and loss of life.

Yagi struck Vietnam’s island districts around 1 p.m. local time, bringing with it winds reaching speeds of 160 kph (99 mph), a decrease from its peak winds of 234 kph (145 mph) recorded in Hainan a day earlier. By 5 p.m., the Vietnamese government reported four deaths and 78 injuries, with about a dozen people still missing at sea.

Before hitting Vietnam, Yagi had already claimed the lives of two individuals in Hainan and 16 in the Philippines, where it initially formed earlier in the week. The coastal city of Haiphong, an industrial hub with a population of approximately 2 million, was severely affected, experiencing wind gusts of up to 90 kph. The city faced widespread power outages, with multiple northern provinces reporting similar issues.

In Haiphong, the storm caused significant damage, shattering windows and generating waves as high as three meters. Local media showcased images of blown-off metal roofing and fallen trees, while thousands of homes sustained damage across northern Vietnam.

In response to the impending storm, Vietnam evacuated over 50,000 residents from coastal areas and mobilized 450,000 military personnel for assistance. The government also suspended operations at four airports, including Hanoi’s Noi Bai, which is the busiest in the northern region, resulting in the cancellation of over 300 flights. Additionally, schools were closed in 12 northern provinces, including Hanoi, and public transport services, including buses and metro lines, were halted.

Residents of Hanoi described the ferocity of the storm, with one local stating, “The wind is strong enough to blow a person over.” Experts note that typhoons are becoming increasingly powerful due to climate change and rising ocean temperatures. Yagi, named after the Japanese term for “goat” and the constellation Capricornus, is one of the most formidable storms to impact the region this year.