Record Floods Submerge Over 2,200 Homes Near Hanoi, Causing Severe Infrastructure Damage

Severe flooding has struck areas near Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, as rivers overflow due to record rainfall, causing extensive damage. As of the afternoon of September 17, water levels on the Tích and Bùi rivers surged significantly above alarm level 3. Over 2,200 houses in Hanoi were submerged, affecting 10,625 residents. Approximately 19 kilometers of roads were inundated, severely disrupting transportation networks. Flood damage has been reported across multiple districts, with Sơn Đồng seeing 1,000 homes affected and Ngọc Hồi with 800 homes impacted. To date, 46 households comprising 179 people have been forced to evacuate, with temporary shelters established in nearby communes such as Quảng Bị, Hòa Phú, Quốc Oai, and Sơn Tây. Over 7.4 kilometers of dikes and embankments have been overtopped or submerged, with Kiều Phú, Trần Phú, Xuân Mai, and Mỹ Đức districts experiencing concentrated damage. Landslides along rivers and canals have reached 303 meters, dealing a significant blow to agricultural production. An estimated 2,779 hectares of rice paddies and 861 hectares of vegetable fields have been damaged. Elsewhere in the northern and central regions, human casualties due to landslides and floods have been reported. Three people died in a landslide in Phú Thọ province, and over 14,000 houses were flooded in Thanh Hóa and Ninh Bình provinces. Extensive damage to crops and aquaculture has also occurred in these areas. Meteorological authorities indicate that due to the influence of a subtropical high-pressure system and strong wind convergence, heavy rain is expected to continue in northern and north-central regions, although rainfall is forecast to gradually decrease. The damage to infrastructure from this heavy rainfall is severe, and recovery is expected to require considerable time and resources. The Vietnamese government is urgently implementing measures to support affected residents and restore damaged infrastructure. Source: VnExpress