Winds picked up from around 6 p.m., with heavy rain coming in bursts and trees snapping and falling across the wards of Mong Cai 1, Mong Cai 2 and Mong Cai 3. Metal roofing on some top floors was ripped loose and blown into the streets. As the wind eased, authorities deployed vehicles and machinery to saw through and clear the debris to keep residents safe.
By 7:30 p.m., the storm reached the Mong Cai coastline.
Nguyen Hau, a resident of Mong Cai 1 Ward, said he could still hear the wind howling even indoors with the doors shut. Residents stayed off the streets, and the power grid kept running. "If the storm passes slowly, it will cause a lot of damage," he predicted.
In the waters off Mong Cai, torrential rain and heavy swells set a sand carrier and a container ship adrift. The two vessels had three crew members aboard.
The waterway police stationed a standby force at Mui Ngoc, coordinating with other units to reach the vessels and prepare rescue operations once weather conditions allow.
