Typhoon Season Vietnam: Preparedness Checklist

When storms hit Vietnam

Forecasters at the national weather centre expect about 11 to 13 storms and tropical depressions in the East Sea in a typical year, and about 5 to 6 of them reach land in Vietnam. In May 2025 they said most storms would come between July and September in the north, and between October and November in the central and southern regions.

So storm season is not over when you leave the north in September. The central coast often gets its worst weather in October and November. Heavy rain can keep falling in the central provinces until about December.

The same forecasters said that a giant storm like Yagi was unlikely in 2025. They also said that storm paths and strength would be hard to predict. Plan for a bad storm anyway, because a weak forecast does not stop a flood.

Sources: VietnamNet, Vietnam faces highly unpredictable storm season in 2025, 14 May 2025

What two recent storms showed

Typhoon Yagi hit the northern provinces of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong on 7 September 2024, with winds up to 149 kilometres per hour. The Associated Press reported that it raged for about 15 hours, left more than 3 million people without power, and closed four airports. Hundreds of flights were cancelled. At least 14 people had died by the next day.

Typhoon Bualoi came ashore in central Vietnam at the end of September 2025, with winds of about 130 kilometres per hour. It stayed over land for almost 12 hours, which the head of the weather centre called very rare. By 30 September, the environment ministry counted 19 dead, more than 100,000 houses damaged, and about 2,700 families stranded in Ha Tinh province. Power was cut in several central areas.

Two lessons come from both storms. Power and travel stop first, and flooding does the most harm after the wind drops.

Sources: Associated Press via PBS News, Typhoon Yagi kills 14 in Vietnam as officials warn of heavy rain and flooding, 8 September 2024; AFP via Khaleej Times, Long-lasting Typhoon Bualoi devastates Vietnam, killing 19, 30 September 2025.

Home and supplies checklist

Start this checklist before the season, not when a warning appears. Shops sell out of water, batteries and rice quickly once a storm is named.

Water and food: store at least three days of drinking water and food that needs no cooking.
Light and power: keep torches, spare batteries and a charged power bank. Charge phones when the first warning comes out.
Windows and balcony: bring in pots, chairs and laundry racks. Tape or close shutters. Move furniture away from glass.
Floods: lift valuables, rugs and electronics off the floor. If you live on a ground floor or in a low street, know where the stairs and higher floors are.
Cash: keep some small notes at home. Card machines and cash points may fail when power is out.
Medicines: keep a week of your regular prescription medicines in a waterproof bag, with a basic first aid kit.
Vehicles: park cars and motorbikes on higher ground, away from trees and signs.

Sources: Based on the damage reported in the two storms above: Associated Press via PBS News, Typhoon Yagi kills 14 in Vietnam as officials warn of heavy rain and flooding, 8 September 2024; AFP via Khaleej Times, Long-lasting Typhoon Bualoi devastates Vietnam, killing 19, 30 September 2025.

Documents and contacts checklist

Keep papers dry and copied. A zip bag inside a hard folder works well.

Passport, visa or residence card, and a second copy of each, plus photos on your phone.
Health or travel insurance papers, with the policy number and the insurer's 24 hour phone line. Our health insurance in Vietnam guide explains what plans cover.
A list of people to call: family, your landlord or building manager, your employer or school, and your embassy.
A list of your regular medicines and any allergies, in English and Vietnamese if you can.
Emergency numbers on paper, in case your phone dies. See our guide to the emergency numbers in Vietnam.

Tell one person where you are during a storm. If you travel, check that your flight, train or bus is still running before you leave.

Sources: checklist built from the storm reports above; no figures taken from any single source.

Where to get official warnings

Vietnam's National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting publishes storm tracks and rain warnings at nchmf.gov.vn. The site is mainly in Vietnamese, and it has a link to an English version. It has a section for typhoons and tropical depressions, and warnings for flash floods and landslides.

Check it each morning in the season, and more often when a storm is named. Your building manager and local ward office will also pass on instructions, and local authorities can order people out of low areas. Follow those orders, even if the sky looks calm.

After a flood, avoid walking in floodwater and clean up with care. Standing water also breeds mosquitoes, so read our dengue fever in Vietnam guide for the season and testing details. This guide gives general planning tips. It is not medical advice.

Sources: National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (nchmf.gov.vn) (page opened and reviewed).

After the storm passes

Stay inside until officials say it is safe. Storms can stay over land for hours, as Bualoi did, and rivers can keep rising after the rain stops. The AFP report from 30 September 2025 said authorities were still updating alerts on rising river levels and possible landslides in mountain areas.

Check on neighbours, especially older people. Take photos of any damage for your landlord and your insurer before you clean up. Keep your phone charged and your documents dry until power and roads return.

Sources: AFP via Khaleej Times, Long-lasting Typhoon Bualoi devastates Vietnam, killing 19, 30 September 2025.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources. Our method.