Central Vietnam Under Water as Flash Floods Kill 8, Force Hundreds From Homes, Cut National Highway

Hue, Vietnam— Flash floods tore through central Vietnam overnight, killing eight people and forcing hundreds from their homes as rivers jumped their banks and water surged into sleeping districts.

The rains started late Wednesday and did not let up. In Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces, more than 300 millimeters fell in 12 hours, according to the national weather service. Water came off the mountains fast, with no time for the low-lying communes to sandbag. By 2 a.m., streets in Hue's outskirts were under a meter of water.

Authorities confirmed eight deaths by Thursday afternoon, most from drowning or being swept away while trying to cross flooded roads. Another two people were listed as missing. At least 400 families were moved to schools and communal houses on higher ground. The army deployed rubber boats at first light.

Infrastructure took a direct hit. A section of National Route 1, the country's main north-south artery, was closed after the water washed away the shoulder and left trucks stranded for kilometers. Three small bridges in Quang Tri collapsed. Power was cut to more than 15,000 households as a safety measure.

"Water rose to the roof in 30 minutes," said a resident in Quang Dien district, standing next to a pile of soaked furniture. District officials said the local dike system, built for seasonal floods, was overtopped. Rice paddies that were weeks from harvest were flattened and buried in silt.

Central Vietnam is no stranger to floods, but the speed was different this time. Meteorologists said a narrow band of moist air from the East Sea stalled over the Annamite Range, dumping its load in one spot. Upstream reservoirs released water to protect their dams, adding to the downstream surge. That decision is now under review by provincial authorities.

Aid groups warned of a second wave of risk: clean water and disease. Wells were contaminated. Food stocks were lost. The agriculture ministry said early estimates showed more than 2,000 hectares of crops damaged. Livestock losses were still being counted.

The weather office said rain would ease by Friday but warned that rivers would remain high. Rescue teams were still going door to door in three communes where phone service was down. They marked checked houses with spray paint.

Evacuation centers were filling up. No one there knew when they could go back.