Hanoi: Vietnam is grappling with the widespread devastation left in the wake of Typhoon Bualoi, which battered the country earlier this week, leaving at least 29 people dead, 22 missing, and thousands displaced. Government officials on Wednesday released a preliminary estimate that property damage has reached 8 trillion dong (US$303 million), underscoring the storm’s destructive force on homes, farmland, and infrastructure.
Authorities reported that nearly 170,000 homes were either submerged in floodwaters or severely damaged by high winds and landslides triggered by the typhoon. Roads, schools, and government buildings across multiple provinces bore the brunt of the storm, while widespread power outages left tens of thousands of households without electricity. The destruction has forced thousands into temporary shelters as rescue workers continue to comb through the hardest-hit regions.
Vietnam’s agricultural sector has been heavily affected, with more than 34,000 hectares of rice paddies and other farmland wiped out. This loss is expected to strain local food supplies and weigh heavily on rural communities that rely on farming for their livelihood. While the government has not yet disclosed the impact on overall GDP, the financial blow is significant in a country where agriculture remains a cornerstone of the economy.
Although official assessments made no mention of large-scale damage to Vietnam’s growing industrial hubs, concern remains high. The storm’s path cut close to factories operated by Foxconn, Formosa Plastics, Luxshare, and Vinfast, raising questions about potential disruptions in production and export. As Vietnam positions itself as a global manufacturing center, even short-term interruptions could reverberate through international supply chains.
In addition to the rural devastation, Hanoi and northern provinces faced severe flooding, which brought flights and rail services to a halt and forced schools to close. Urban neighborhoods in the capital city were inundated, leaving residents wading through waist-deep water and relying on rescue boats for evacuation. Transportation delays and infrastructure damage have slowed down relief distribution, compounding the challenges for affected families.
Vietnam, with its 3,200-kilometer-long coastline, is no stranger to typhoons, but the scale of destruction is becoming increasingly severe. Just last year, Typhoon Yagi struck the country with catastrophic impact, causing US$3.3 billion in damages and killing nearly 300 people. By comparison, Typhoon Bualoi’s financial toll appears lower, but officials caution that the current figures are preliminary and may rise as damage in remote provinces is fully assessed.
The government has mobilized military units, local authorities, and volunteers for ongoing search-and-rescue operations, while emergency supplies of food, medicine, and clean water are being distributed to affected communities. However, experts warn that reconstruction will require months of sustained effort and billions in funding to rebuild homes, restore farmland, and strengthen infrastructure against future storms.
As Vietnam continues to count the human and financial costs of Typhoon Bualoi, the disaster has reignited calls for climate resilience measures, including stricter building codes, improved flood defenses, and expanded early-warning systems. With the South China Sea remaining an active breeding ground for storms, authorities are bracing for what could be another turbulent typhoon season.