Typhoon season in Da Nang runs from June to November, with the real risk between September and November. The city has taken 41 storms since 1945, more than any other Vietnamese province, so keep three days of water and food and a plan for a day without power. In mid-October 2026 the worst weeks are still ahead.
How should I prepare my flat before the first storm?
Clear the balcony of anything the wind can throw, such as chairs, plant pots, drying racks and bicycles. Close the windows and shutters, move furniture and electronics away from the glass, and lift documents and devices off the floor. These are common-sense recommendations, so adapt them to your building.
Flooding is the bigger danger for lower floors. On the night of 14 October 2022 about 600 mm of rain fell on the city, the worst flooding in a decade, and water stood up to 1 m in some streets. Ask your neighbours whether the courtyard and the ground floor flooded before you sign. Floors from the second up are safer, and the best neighbourhoods to live in Da Nang differ a lot in how they handle heavy rain.
Put the repair question to the landlord in writing: who pays for a broken window, a leaking roof or wet wiring after a storm. Vietnam’s Civil Code (2015, Article 156) treats an event as force majeure only if it is objective, unforeseeable and unavoidable even after all necessary measures were taken, so pointing at the weather without those measures protects nobody. My guide on renting an apartment in Da Nang covers the rest of the contract.
What goes into a 72-hour storm kit?
The Da Nang authorities told residents during the record rain of October 2025 to keep at least three days of food and not to count on city distribution. For a flat that means water, food that needs no cooking, charged power banks, a torch, documents in a sealed bag and small banknotes.
- Drinking water: about 3 litres per person per day, so one 20-litre bottle covers two people for three days, plus a container for washing and flushing.
- Food with no cooking: bread, canned food, fruit, instant noodles, biscuits.
- Light and charging: a torch with spare batteries and power banks charged a day before the expected landfall.
- Documents and cash: passport, lease and insurance papers in a sealed bag, plus small banknotes.
- Medicine: your own prescriptions for a week and basic dressings.
How long can the power and water stay off?
Plan for at least one day without electricity. After the flood of 14 October 2022 about 206,000 customers in Da Nang lost power and 2,524 transformer stations were damaged. PC Da Nang runs the city grid and sends more than 400 staff to repair storm damage.
The day before the strike, charge the phone and power banks, fill the bottles and the bathtub, and freeze bottles of water to keep the fridge cold longer. In an apartment tower the lifts and pumps stop without power, so you may carry water upstairs yourself.
What do the storm warnings in Da Nang mean?
A typhoon in Vietnam is a cyclone with wind of cấp 8 or more on the Beaufort scale, which is 62-74 km/h. Cấp 10 and 11 are a strong storm, cấp 12 and above (118-133 km/h and more) is a very strong one, and a super typhoon (siêu bão) starts at cấp 16, or 184 km/h. Every storm gets a number and a cấp rating in the bulletin.
The official bulletins come from NCHMF, and the disaster summary with the decisions of the authorities sits on VNDMS. Both are in Vietnamese, so open them through your browser translator. When a storm threatens the city, Da Nang sets up a forward command post, as it did on 27 September 2025 for Bualoi, and its decisions follow the NCHMF bulletins, so buy your supplies before them.
How bad will the 2026 season be?
In September 2026 NCHMF forecast 3 to 5 storms and depressions in the East Sea for September to November, with 1 to 2 of them reaching Vietnamese land. That is below the norm of 5.9 systems at sea and 2.9 landfalls for the same three months, and the reason is a very strong El Niño.
A smaller number of storms says nothing about their strength. The centre warns about unusual tracks and heavy rain, so I stock up whatever the forecast says. Since 1 July 2025 Da Nang has also been merged with Quang Nam province, so mountain districts with landslides and broken power lines now appear in Da Nang news.
What shuts down when a typhoon is close?
When a storm heads for Da Nang the authorities stop transport and restrict going outside. Shops close before the wind arrives, so you cannot shop on the day itself. The table lists what past storms did to the city.
| Year | Storm | What happened in Da Nang |
|---|---|---|
| October 2020 | Molave | Six airports including Da Nang closed from the evening of 27 October to 18:00 on 28 October, Vietnam Airlines cancelled 104 flights |
| September 2022 | Noru | Curfew from 20:00 on 27 September, shops and hotels closed, only duty services allowed outside |
| October 2022 | Sonca flood | About 600 mm of rain in one night, about 206,000 customers without power |
| September 2025 | Bualoi | Four coastal airports including Da Nang suspended, part of the flights moved |
| October 2025 | Fengshen | Relocation from landslide and flood zones ordered by 17:00 on 22 October, rain forecast of 350-600 mm |
What if the storm hits just before my visa runs out?
A cancelled flight moves your plans, but the date in your visa stays the same until you extend it officially. A week before the stamp expires, a storm turns into an overstay risk. I suggest keeping a buffer of 3 to 5 days before the end of your stay, so a cancelled flight or a closed airport leaves time to rebuild the route.
A border trip in storm season has to be moved just like a flight. The e‑visa form on evisa.gov.vn takes one evening to fill in, but the last day before expiry is a bad day to meet a closed airport. I run the Da Nang visa run and at BestBus Vietnam I move the departure to another day when the weather breaks the schedule. I only need your trip dates and the date your stay ends. Message me your dates on WhatsApp and I will tell you what you can still make before the stamp ends.
How do I stay safe during the storm and after it?
Stay indoors away from the windows and do not go out until the authorities lift the restrictions. During Noru in 2022 going outside was banned. After the storm, avoid flooded streets, fallen wires and cracked facades, and check the sockets and the fuse box for water before you switch anything on.
Foreigners have no free emergency care in Vietnam, and hospitals ask for a prepayment or insurance. Get a health policy before the storm season, and compare the options in my review of health insurance for expats in Vietnam. The bus and refund rules during typhoons help when you travel out of the city.
The short version: what to do before the first storm
Before the first storm of the season buy water and food for three days, charge your power banks, ask your landlord in writing who pays for storm repairs, and keep 3 to 5 days between a cancelled flight and the end of your visa. Open the NCHMF bulletin once a day, and when a storm gets its own number, check it twice.
A typhoon is a nuisance in Da Nang, and three days of supplies cover almost every domestic risk. The dates of the season are known, the track of a single storm is not, so give a cancelled flight and an expiring stamp a few days between them. If a cancellation left your stay too close to the end, tell me when your visa ends and I will work out whether to extend on the spot or leave the country.
Frequently asked questions
Which numbers do I call in a natural disaster in Vietnam?
The calls are free and work around the clock: 113 for police, 114 for the fire service, 115 for an ambulance. Number 112 coordinates search and rescue during natural disasters such as storms, floods and landslides.
Is there contents insurance for tenants in Vietnam?
Yes. In October 2022 Bao Viet launched a home contents policy with Igloo and Shopee from 83,999 VND a year (about $3) with a limit up to 100 million VND, and floods and storms are covered. Check the current price and exclusions.
Does Da Nang get hit by a typhoon every year?
On average about one storm a year passes directly over the territory of Da Nang. The city has taken 41 storms since 1945, ahead of Khanh Hoa with 32, so a quiet forecast still does not mean a quiet season.
What changed in Da Nang's borders in 2025 and does it matter for storms?
Since 1 July 2025 Da Nang is merged with Quang Nam province under Resolution 202/2025/QH15 and covers 11,859.59 km² with 3,065,628 people. The mountain districts of the old Quang Nam now count as Da Nang, so landslide and power line reports come from there as well.
Is there a Russian consulate in Da Nang?
Yes. The Consulate General of Russia works at 22 Tran Phu street in Hai Chau district and covers Da Nang, Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen. Check the duty phone numbers on the consulate website before you need them.
