Hue, Vietnam— Water came over the dam wall at 4 a.m. on October 30, 2026. Continuous downpour that has lashed south-central Vietnam since late October triggered reservoir spillover across central provinces, inundating towns from Hue to Quang Ngai, submerging whole city blocks in Nha Trang and forcing nearly 62,000 people to flee. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said rainfall exceeded 1,500 mm in three days.
In Hue, three measuring stations recorded 1 to 1.7 meters of rain in 24 hours from Sunday to Monday, the highest ever recorded in Vietnam. One station logged 1,085.8 mm until 11 p.m. Monday. Streets turned to rivers. Hundreds of cars were underwater on Thursday, AFP photos showed. In coastal Nha Trang, a tourist spot known for pristine beaches, blocks were inundated.
The spillover was not accidental. Reservoirs in central Vietnam were already near full after Typhoon Bualoi tore through the coast on Monday, killing at least 13 and injuring 46. The disaster management agency said one person died in floodwaters in Hue, another killed by a falling tree in Thanh Hoa. Heavy rains since Saturday prompted warnings of severe floods. When continuous rain continued, dam operators had to release water. Downstream towns flooded twice — once from rain, once from the reservoir.
"We had water up to our necks inside the house, we had to climb to the roof," said a resident of Hue's An Cuu ward, speaking from a shelter. Provincial authorities said nearly 9,000 homes in 14 communes had been inundated, with flood depths up to 1.5 meters in the north. More than 52,000 homes were inundated across six provinces, including Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Quang Ngai.
The friction is in water management. Vietnam's central coast relies on reservoirs for irrigation, hydropower and flood control. When heavy rain hits, operators must choose between keeping water and risking dam failure, or releasing water and flooding towns. Sites downstream from large reservoirs may be subject to flash flooding after short periods of intense rainfall, according to Crisis24. This time they were.
In Dak Lak, Vietnam's principal coffee-growing province, harvests were delayed and communities isolated. The environment ministry said at least 41 people were killed since Sunday, nine missing, across six provinces. The search continued Thursday as water levels rose further in already inundated towns.
As of October 30, 2026, the national forecast agency warned of more flooding and landslides Friday, with heavy rain set to continue from November 1 to 4 due to cold air masses and easterly wind disturbances. Major rivers including the Huong and Vu Gia were above alert level. Reservoirs remained at spill level.
Towns were still under water.
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