Cyclonic storm accompanied with heavy rains lashed several parts of the northern mountainous regions on May 1, causing mass scale damage to thousands of homes.
According to initial reports from the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, the cyclonic storm blew off rooftops of nearly 6,000 houses and collapsed 90 others early on May 1.
Heavy rains and lightening injured four people, smashed 30 houses, and blew off roofs of at least 400 others and 23 schools, flattened 16 electric poles and devastated tens of hectares of farm crops in Bao Yen District and Lao Cai City.
Total damage is estimated at VND5 billion (US$240,000) in Lao Cai City.
Ninety percent of the houses in Nam Det Commune in Bac Ha District were damaged with several more totally caved in.
Son La Province reported three persons injured and 42 houses that had either collapsed or rendered roofless in Muong La, Mai Son, Bac Yen and Quynh Nhai Districts. Fourteen boats sank and 19 fish breeding cages were swept away in the Da River in Quynh Nhai District.
Yen Bai Province reported one injured and 3,600 houses damaged, but the worst hit districts were Van Chan and Nghia Lo.
Hailstones also damaged 200 hectares of farm crops in Yen Binh, Van Yen and Van Chan Districts, leaving a loss of VND9 billion ($432,450) in the province.
On the same day, cyclone accompanied by hailstorm lasting an hour also rendered ten houses roofless and destroyed vegetable crops in An Lao District in the central province of Binh Dinh.
Heavy rainfall accompanied with strong winds also blew off roofs of 14 houses and uprooted several trees in Ea Na Commune in Krong Ana District in the central highland province of Dak Lak.
