Typhoon Ketsana Pushing Vietnamese Rivers Past Flood Records - Hue Palace Flooded

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The typhoon that ravaged the Philippines on Saturday is now ripping through central Vietnam and Cambodia, where it has killed dozens, left hundreds of thousands homeless, and unleashed torrential rains that could cause some of the worst flooding in decades. Authorities in Vietnam say the typhoon, packing 90 mph winds, killed 38 people before heading further inland into Cambodia and heading toward Laos and Thailand. The storm has since weakened, but Cambodia’s province of Kampong Tham has been hard hit, with as many as 11 people reported dead and nearly 80 houses destroyed.

Vietnam has been left reeling from the devastation. The typhoon, which set down on Tuesday, destroyed nearly 300,000 homes and forced 357,000 people to evacuate, reports Reuters. Some 50,000 acres of agricultural land have been affected. Waters have also flooded the ancient palace city of Hue, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, adds Agence France-Presse.

The worst may not be over. By Wednesday, rivers in Vietnam appeared ready to swell beyond levels not seen since 1964, reports Vietnam’s Thanh Nien news: "In fact, with the rainfall measuring up to 1,300 millimeters in some localities like Thua Thien – Hue on Tuesday evening, water levels in the Tra Bong River reached 5.58 meters, 0.19 meters higher than the historic flood peak in 1964."

Authorities were struggling Wednesday to reach areas cut off due to power outages and blocked roads, such as the Nhon Chau Island in Binh Dinh Province, where 2,000 people cannot be reached. Authorities say that, as river waters continues to rise, the biggest challenge is getting food to isolated populations and stopping the spread of diseases, Thanh Nien adds.

EDIT

http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/09/30/hit-by-typhoon-vietnam-rivers-swell-to-historic-levels/