Vietnam Reels as 'Powaley' Storm Leaves Tragic Toll in Its Wake

Typhoon Prapiroon has killed 36 people in Vietnam, with 21 still missing and 147 injured, according to the country's disaster management agency. The storm brought massive waves, powerful winds, and heavy rains when it made landfall in north-central Vietnam, causing widespread flooding across the region.

The financial toll keeps climbing. Vietnam's disaster agency now estimates property damage at 11.5 trillion dong ($435.8 million) - a sharp jump from the $303 million figure reported just one day earlier. This dramatic increase shows how the full scale of destruction is still being assessed.

The typhoon hit critical infrastructure hard. Roads, schools, and government buildings suffered major damage. Power grids failed across the region, leaving tens of thousands of families without electricity. The outages are complicating rescue efforts and slowing down damage assessments in affected areas.

Agriculture took a heavy hit too. More than 210,000 homes were either damaged or completely flooded. The storm destroyed over 51,000 hectares of rice and other crops - a significant blow for a country where agriculture employs millions of people and feeds much of Southeast Asia.

Vietnam sits in one of the world's most typhoon-prone regions, typically facing 10-12 major storms each year. But Prapiroon's impact appears more severe than usual, particularly the flooding that followed. The country has invested heavily in early warning systems and evacuation procedures over the past decade, which likely prevented the death toll from being much higher.

The economic damage could ripple beyond Vietnam's borders. The affected region produces significant amounts of rice for export, and any supply disruption could affect food prices across Asia. Recovery efforts are now underway, but with the monsoon season continuing, authorities remain on high alert for additional storms.