HCM City copes with flooding after torrential downpour

On August 27, many locations in the southern hub were still flooded while the basements of many buildings remained submerged as a result of the deluge on August 26.

That is the heaviest rain recorded since the beginning of the year, with rainfall topping 159 millimeters and 31 routes inundated, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Drainage Company Limited (UDC) stated.

Several businesses on Phan Xich Long Street in Phu Nhuan District were forced to be closed due to floodwaters, mud, and electrical failure brought about by the torrential rain.

Cars and motorbikes parked in the basements of about 10 buildings on the street were also submerged under one to two meters of water.

Such severe inundation is unprecedented in the area, Vo Van My, security guard at a shop on Phan Xich Long Street, said, adding that local residents were not prepared.

“People only managed to take out a few motorcycles as water rose too quickly. As the electricity system was not cut off at the time, we were also hesitant to dive in,” My said.

Several locals stated that they could only watch the water pouring into their houses, feeling helpless and not knowing who to contact for help.

An ‘extreme’ downpour

Preventive measures are usually prepared for locations vulnerable to flooding in the city, said Nguyen Quoc Thai, director of the UDC.

Human resources, along with pumping machines and other equipment, are then mobilized to the spots to provide prompt solutions for dealing with potential floods.

According to Do Tan Long, an official of the Steering Center of Urban Flood Control Program in Ho Chi Minh City, the rain could be “the most extreme downpour” since the beginning of the rainy season.

“About 550 men and 43 pumps with a capacity of up to 500 cubic meters per hour were dispatched to the inundated areas,” Long affirmed.

A total of 49 locations in Ho Chi Minh City are susceptible to flood caused by heavy rain and rising tide, the official said, adding that competent agencies would permanently deal with inundation in 10 of the areas this year.

Railways to be elevated

The railway network in the southern hub also fell victim to the deluge as three sections in Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, and Go Vap Districts sank under 0.5 meters of floodwater, said Nguyen Dinh Dang, deputy director of the Saigon Railways.

Three traveling trains had to be stopped for about two and a half hours, waiting for rainwater to recede, Dang continued.

Several sections of the train tracks in Binh Thanh and Go Vap are anticipated to be elevated by half a meter to cope with similar flooding, the official said.

Airport drainage system should be reviewed

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, many flights at Tan Son Nhat International Airport were delayed while others had to land at airdromes in Thailand and Cambodia due to the severe inundation.

An aviation expert said that the drainage system at the airport must be re-evaluated and improved, stressing that the incident was a wake-up call.

Meanwhile, an airport representative said that the situation was inevitable as many higher streets in the city were also flooded, adding that dredging had been carried out prior to the rainy season.

Several parts of the airfield were submerged under 30 to 50 centimeters of water for about 45 minutes, the Southern Airports Authority stated, adding that all operations were resumed on Saturday.