Hundreds of thousands of people in Vietnam have left their houses in the evening September 17 as powerful storm Noul is expected to slam into central Vietnam in the early hours of September 18 afternoon.

Local residents living in coastal and lowlying areas scrambled to move to
a higher ground as powerful storm Noul is approaching. (Photo:zingnews.vn)

In Da Nang, Vietnam’s third largest city, local authorities encouraged residents living in coastal areas to move into storm shelters further inland with assistance from policemen and soldiers. Schools and cultural houses have temporarily been used to accommodate evacuees together with their belongings. 

Localities from Quang Binh to Da Nang are expected to evacuate 1.1 million people from coastal and lowlying areas which are most vulnerable to severe flood and landslides. Mass evacuation plans are due to be complete on September 18 morning. 

Fishing vessels have been brought ashore in Thua Thien-Hue

Authorities of central provinces ordered hundreds of thousands of fishing vessels to anchor ashore in order to protect fishermen and their property. Several provinces announced school closures before Noul makes landfall. 

The Ministry of Transport asked airports in Da Nang city, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam provinces to temporarily suspend operations from 04.00hrs to 21.00hrs September 18 for safety reasons. 

Residents in Thua Thien-Hue province have reinforced
their houses before Noul makes landfall.

Noul, the fifth and the strongest tropical storm in the East Sea this year, is quickly heading toward central Vietnam. At 04.00hrs September 18 the storm was churning off the central coast, packing maximum sustained winds of 100kph near its epicenter. 

In the following 12 hours, the storm is moving west and bartering central provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Nam provinces, with winds gusting up to 90kph. It will then travel further inland and weaken into a tropical depression. 

Noul will cause rough seas and heavy rain of up to 400mm in several central provinces.