On the evening of February 24, the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting of Vietnam announced that the Typhoon Committee had approved the removal of certain storm names that had caused severe destruction, including Yagi.

Alongside Yagi, the committee also removed Typhoon Trami, a name originally proposed by Vietnam, due to its devastating impact on the Philippines.

Additionally, the committee accepted Vietnam’s proposal to replace the storm name Saola with Saobien (Starfish), as recommended at the 56th annual meeting in 2024. This marks an important contribution from Vietnam in shaping the storm naming system for the region.

Typhoon Yagi’s devastation in Vietnam

Typhoon Yagi, named by Japan, inflicted widespread destruction across northern Vietnam in 2024.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Yagi and the subsequent flooding resulted in 344 deaths and missing persons, with 264 fatalities caused by landslides and flash floods. The storm caused an estimated 81,500 billion VND in economic losses.

Originating from a tropical depression off the coast of the Philippines, Yagi rapidly intensified into a super typhoon, reaching an unprecedented strength of eight categories in just 48 hours.

After devastating the Philippines, it made landfall in northern Vietnam on September 7, triggering one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in recent history.

For the first time in 50 years, northern Vietnam experienced Category 14 winds, with gusts reaching Category 17 on land.

Historic flooding affected 21 out of 25 northern provinces, submerging entire regions and causing deadly landslides and flash floods across the mountainous provinces.

The widespread destruction left thousands homeless, highlighting the severity of the storm’s impact.

Thanh Hue