On the morning of August 26, VietNamNet reporters witnessed widespread devastation across Ha Tinh’s coastal roads. In Yen Diem village, Loc Ha commune, homes were left in ruins after the hours-long battering. Locals, still shaken, were seen crying over collapsed rooftops and broken walls.

Storm winds destroyed four homes belonging to the children and grandchildren of Vo Phuc Sinh, 74, a resident of Yen Diem village. As the storm passed, Mr. Sinh stood in silence, eyes welling with tears, staring at the rubble where his family’s homes once stood.

Mr. Sinh recounted that around 5 p.m. on August 25, while inside with his family, a violent gust of wind struck without warning. As the wind howled, his family locked the doors in fear. “When the storm hits, don’t go outside. Stay in. We’ll wait until it passes,” he told his children and grandchildren.

The wind continued to lash their homes into the night, with loud, unrelenting gusts. Mr. Sinh, who has lived through decades of storms in this region, said that although major storms hit in 1998 and 2017, none were as destructive or terrifying as this.

At 4 a.m., when the winds had calmed, he opened the door and was horrified to find everything in ruins.

“I’m 74 years old and I’ve never seen a storm like this,” he said. “In previous years, the storms passed quickly with minimal damage. But this one was brutal. Last night, we huddled together listening to the wind scream and prayed for it to pass. This morning, everything is gone. I don’t know when we’ll recover.”

Nguyen Thi Hien, 41, shared a similar experience. The storm completely tore off the roof of her house. “The winds were terrifying, especially around 7:30 p.m. Roof tiles flew off with loud crashes, and rain poured in,” she said.

“My whole family stayed up all night, huddled in corners of the house, taking turns trying to stay dry. This morning, I saw the devastation and couldn’t hold back the tears.”

Nguyen Viet Cuong, Chairman of Loc Ha commune, told VietNamNet that the storm caused severe damage to the area.

“As of 1 a.m. on August 26, strong winds were still sweeping through. Trees were uprooted across the commune. Overnight, we deployed emergency crews to clear roads,” he said.

“This morning, local authorities began visiting residents to assess the damage and offer assistance so families can begin recovering from the storm.”