Credited from: REUTERS
Typhoon Kajiki has made landfall in Vietnam, bringing severe winds and torrential rains, resulting in the deaths of at least three people and injuring others, while the storm has affected close to 600,000 residents through mandatory evacuations. The storm's approach led to the closure of schools, airports, and transportation services as it threatened to cause severe flooding and landslides in several provinces including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh, according to Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.
The storm initially packed winds of up to 166 km/h, later decreasing as it made landfall, yet still managed to uproot trees, tear roofs from homes, and lead to widespread blackouts that affected over 1.6 million people. Authorities reported significant structural damage, with nearly 7,000 homes affected and extensive flooding reported in Hanoi, where some streets have become impassable, according to BBC and Reuters.
As the storm weakened to a tropical depression after hitting Vietnam, rainfall forecasts indicated that areas might receive up to 150mm within hours, posing ongoing threats for additional flooding and landslides. The human impact of Typhoon Kajiki has been profound, with local reports highlighting the chaos in cities like Vinh and Hanoi, where emergency services have been mobilized to manage the destruction, according to The Jakarta Post and Al Jazeera.
Human-caused climate change has been noted as a factor for the increasing frequency and severity of such storms, with experts emphasizing the need for greater preparedness in vulnerable areas, leading to a larger discussion about disaster management in the context of climate resilience, as stated by Reuters and India Times.