The tornado struck around 0h30 during heavy rain, catching residents off guard. "I was awake looking at my phone when I heard a loud whistling wind for about a few dozen seconds before it swept elsewhere", said Phuong The Ngoc, a resident of Nguyen Nghiem ward, adding that his family's corrugated iron roof was damaged.
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A tornado damaged corrugated iron roofs in Nguyen Nghiem ward. Photo: Nguyen Thinh
Across other areas of the ward, the swirling winds blew away or collapsed numerous corrugated iron roofs. Some tiled houses also lost entire sections of their roofs, which fell to the ground. Many utility poles were snapped, and several concrete poles tilted, leading to power outages in the affected areas.
Nguyen Thinh, Secretary of Nguyen Nghiem ward, reported that the tornado had very strong winds but fortunately caused no human casualties. Militia, police, and the electricity sector are urgently working to repair the damage, re-erect utility poles, and assist residents in securing their homes.
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A utility pole snapped by the tornado. Photo: Nguyen Thinh
This incident follows a previous tornado at 22h14 on 16/11, which hit the Tam Ky toll booth on the Da Nang - Quang Ngai expressway. That event damaged roofs, collapsed cabins, and paralyzed the toll collection system.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, a band of heavy rain extended from Ha Tinh to Da Nang and the eastern parts of Quang Ngai - Dak Lak throughout last night and the morning of 17/11. Several locations recorded record rainfall: Binh Dien (Hue) received 641 mm, Song Tra (Da Nang) nearly 400 mm, and Ho Nuoc Trong (Quang Ngai) nearly 300 mm.
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A tiled roof also damaged by the tornado. Photo: Nguyen Thinh
From now until the end of the night of 18/11, the Quang Tri - Da Nang area, eastern Quang Ngai, and Gia Lai are expected to continue experiencing very heavy rain, with 200-400 mm and some places exceeding 700 mm. Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa will see 100-300 mm of rain, with localized areas receiving over 400 mm; some parts of Nam Bo may have over 80 mm. Rain is forecast to gradually decrease from 22/11.
The meteorological agency warns of risks including tornadoes, lightning, hail, flash floods, landslides, and inundation, with natural disaster risk level one. Specifically for Quang Tri to Da Nang and eastern Quang Ngai - Gia Lai, the risk level is two.
Pham Linh
