Typhoon Lekima Lashes Vietnam

Hundreds of thousands evacuate low-lying areas, but damage thought to be minimal
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 3, 2007 12:22 PM CDT
Typhoon Lekima Lashes Vietnam
Fishermen move their small fishing boat to land in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2007. Disaster officials began evacuating 400,000 people on Wednesday as tropical storm Lekima approached Vietnam's central coast, packing winds of up to 117 kilometers per (73 miles) hour. (AP Photo/Vietnam...   (Associated Press)

Hundreds of thousands fled to higher ground in Vietnam today and 20,000 fishing boats headed for port, as Typhoon Lekima pelted low-lying areas with driving rain and 75 mph winds before heading westward toward Laos. Officials believe Lekima passed through scantly populated areas, Reuters says, but won’t be able to estimate damage until tomorrow.

The storm made landfall on a Chinese beach resort late yesterday, before sweeping over central Vietnam. Coffee, rice, and oil production—the staples of Vietnam’s economy—shouldn’t be affected. The storm is the fifth Vietnam has weathered this year, and another, named Krosa, was brewing in the west Pacific today. (More tropical storms stories.)

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