The U.S. Embassy in Vietnam has issued a warning to Americans there as a typhoon approaches the coast having killing at least 114 people in the Philippines.
Why It Matters
Densely populated Vietnam is vulnerable to typhoons roaring in across the South China Sea.
The U.S. military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said the storm had gathered strength as it approached Vietnam, upgrading it to a Category 4. Forecasters said Vietnam’s low-lying commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City could be hit by flooding.
What To Know
Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 114 people in the Philippines, where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency on Thursday. Rescuers in the Philippines were still searching for more than 100 people missing, mostly in widespread flooding in central provinces.
Vietnamese authorities have ordered mass evacuations from low-lying coastal areas in the path of Typhoon Kalmaegi, the 13th to hit Vietnam this year.
The storm is expected to make landfall in central Vietnam, just north of the city of Quy Nhon, late on Thursday and early on Friday, when the JTWC estimates its intensity could drop from 90 to 20 knots.
“The storm is expected to land in areas already impacted by heavy rains and flooding. The U.S. Embassy and Consulate General in Vietnam urge all U.S. citizens in affected areas to maintain caution and follow the directions of local authorities,” the U.S. mission in Vietnam said in a release.
The Vietnam National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that coastal areas from Hue to Dak Lak may be hit by waves of up to 26 feet and a storm surge of up to 2 feet in addition to high winds, possibly exceeding 84 miles per hour.
U.S. Embassy said: “Residents should expect continued risk of flooding, flash floods, and landslides. Additionally, infrastructure already weakened by previous flooding may be increasingly unreliable.”
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, faces a heightened risk of severe flooding as high tides are expected to coincide with heavy rainfall from the typhoon, according to the Associated Press. Authorities have warned that low-lying areas could be inundated.
What People Are Saying
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest bulletin: “Typhoon Kalmaegi is barreling toward the Vietnamese coast and reaching peak intensity.”
What Happens Next
The storm is likely to lose strength after crossing the Vietnamese coast and moving northwest, toward northeast Cambodia, eastern Thailand and southern Laos later on Friday.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.