Sudden whirlwinds and hailstorms swept through some mountainous areas in the central province of Nghe An on the afternoon of May 3, inflicting significant damage to houses and crops.
Initial reports from Nhan Hoa commune show that hail, strong winds and lightning caused widespread losses to property and agricultural production. Notably, a lightning strike hit a molasses storage tank at a local sugar plant, spilling around 2,000 tonnes and causing an estimated loss of up to 8 billion VND (303,536 USD).
In Thanh Binh Tho commune, extreme weather tore off roofs and damaged 193 houses and one community cultural house, with losses estimated at over 6 billion VND. The Cay Mit bridge spanning the Con River was also displaced by about 30cm from its abutment.
Large areas of crops, including rice nearing harvest, were flattened, affecting yields. More than 112 hectares of rice and 20 hectares of maize suffered over 70% damage, with total losses estimated at more than 3.7 billion VND.
Local authorities have instructed village leaders to urgently assess and report damage to homes, infrastructure and crops. Relevant agencies are coordinating site inspections to evaluate impacts and propose timely recovery measures, while mobilising local forces to help residents stabilise their lives.
Following the widespread hailstorms and whirlwinds in the north, units under the Northern Power Corporation (EVNNPC) are racing to restore electricity supply following widespread thunderstorms and hail that disrupted the power grid across northern localities.
Although the hail has subsided, lingering storm circulation and post-disaster impacts continue to affect grid operations, EVNNPC said on May 3.
Earlier, on the evening of May 2, extreme weather, featuring heavy rain, strong winds, lightning and hail, hit provinces including Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Dien Bien, Phu Tho and Bac Ninh, damaging infrastructure, including power networks, and causing outages in several areas.
In affected localities, multiple transmission lines were damaged, with some poles collapsing under strong gusts. Immediately after the incidents, electricity units mobilised personnel and deployed multiple teams to access sites, isolate faults, contain the impact and implement area-specific repair plans.
Despite adverse conditions, power workers operated through the night, prioritising electricity restoration for critical loads and residential areas, while strictly adhering to technical safety requirements before re-energising the grid.
According to EVNNPC, affiliated units are maximising manpower and resources, maintaining round-the-clock readiness to swiftly address storm-related disruptions, with the goal of restoring safe and stable power supply for daily life and production.
Alongside recovery efforts, the power sector has urged residents to stay away from fallen poles and downed lines, avoid contact with outdoor electrical equipment during bad weather, proactively check household wiring systems, and promptly report hazards via the customer service hotline 19006769.
The rapid and decisive response by electricity units, despite hazardous conditions, has helped minimise the impact of the natural disaster./.
