Hanoi Residents Endure Three Days of Flooding After Heavy Rains

Hanoi, Vietnam – Persistent heavy rainfall has submerged parts of the Vietnamese capital for three consecutive days, causing significant disruption to residents' lives. In areas like Hong Ha ward, particularly outside the dykes along Au Co and Tu Lien streets, homes have been inundated with water levels ranging from 20cm to 50cm. Vu Quang Trung, a resident of alley 39 Au Co, reported that even days after the rain stopped, water levels had only receded by about 20cm, with some sections remaining over half a meter deep. Residents are actively clearing debris from drainage systems to prevent further blockages, but the drainage process is described as very slow. Bà Vũ Tuyết Lan, 70, living in a 24sqm flooded house, expressed her hardship. The inundation occurred overnight on September 13th, making it difficult for her elderly mother (98) and her veteran husband (over 70) to cope with the damp and unsanitary conditions. "I hope tonight there's no rain so the water can fully recede," she stated, yearning for normalcy. In alley 5, alley 238 Au Co, Nguyen Thi Yen is seizing the moment to clean her home as the water recedes. Her family had not yet had dinner by nearly 8 PM due to the ongoing flooding. Residents in alley 200 Au Co are seen pumping water out of their homes, preparing for cleanup. This area remains flooded at depths exceeding half a meter. To combat the recurring "flood-when-it-rains" situation, many households along Au Co street have erected steel barriers or raised their house foundations. Mr. Le Minh Tu mentioned he raised his foundation by nearly 50cm years ago, yet still faces inconvenience as access routes remain submerged. The deep water makes daily commutes challenging. Bao Ngan, a 10th-grade student at the High School for Gifted Languages, has to wear waterproof boots twice daily to navigate the flooded areas to and from school. She noted the danger posed by open manholes, essential for drainage but hazardous if not carefully avoided. For three days, Nguyen Thi Yen from alley 238 Au Co has been using a boat to ferry her children to and from school through the flooded sections. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that Hanoi and many northern provinces, along with Thanh Hoa and Nghe An, are expected to experience heavy rain until September 17th, with some areas receiving over 250mm. This increases the risk of widespread flooding, flash floods, and landslides. Source: VnExpress