Asia reels from floods as Vietnam braces for storm

HANOI, Vietnam - A tropical storm barreled toward Vietnam on Friday, forcing 20,000 people to be evacuated, as the Philippines braced for a new typhoon and swathes of India, Thailand, Pakistan and China reeled under floods after some of the wildest weather to hit Asia this summer.

Prolonged monsoon flooding, typhoons and storms have wreaked untold havoc in the region, leaving more than 450 people dead or missing in several countries since late July. In the Indian state of Orissa alone, the damage is estimated to be worth $726 million.

After pummeling the Philippines and China this week, Typhoon Nesat was downgraded to a tropical storm as it headed toward Vietnam where it was expected to make landfall later on Friday with sustained wind speeds of up to 118 kph, according to the national weather forecasting center.