HCM City deluged as Storm No. 9 dumps record rain

Many streets and alleys in HCM City were severely flooded as heavy rains and high tides caused a double whammy. People pushing their stalled vehicles was a common sight. - VNS Photo Ngoc Diep

On Monday morning, there were moderate to heavy rains in Tan Tru District in Long An Province and Binh Chanh, Cu Chi and Hoc Mon districts in HCM City as Storm No 9 (Typhoon Usagi) weakened into a tropical depression.

HCM City and Long An and Tay Ninh provinces are also at risk of severe flooding in low-lying areas.

Heavy rainfall on Sunday afternoon and night and early Monday morning meant some parts of the city received as much as 400mm.

Le Dinh Quyet, deputy director of the Southern Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting’s forecast department, said this is the highest ever rainfall recorded in a 24-hour period in the city.

Tan Binh District topped with 407.6mm, Nha Be District recorded 345mm, the city centre received 301mm, and Can Gio on the coast, 293mm.

Some 60 spots in the city were reported flooded as heavy rainfall, which began on Sunday afternoon, and high tides inundated many of the city’s roads and alleys.

They included Ho Ngoc Lam and Phan Anh streets in Binh Tan District; Le Van Viet, Do Xuan Hop and La Xuan Oai streets in District 9; Pham Van Chieu and Le Duc Tho streets in Go Vap; many streets in District 2’s Thao Dien Ward; Nguyen Van Qua Street in District 12; Vo Van Ngan, Kha Van Can, Binh Chieu and To Ngoc Van streets in Thu Duc; Pham The Hien Street in District 8; Nguyen Huu Canh, Nguyen Gia Tri and Bach Dang streets in Binh Thanh; and 3/2 Street in District 10.

A screen grab from a mobile phone shows the HCM City drainage company’s flood warning software indicating more than 40 areas around the city were submerged at 6pm on November 25.

Huynh Tan Phat Street in District 7, which is undergoing repairs, was submerged under a metre of water.

Dong Van Cong, Nguyen Thi Dinh and Nguyen Duy Trinh streets in District 2 were under 0.5 metre of water.

Many motorbikes and cars broke down on flooded streets.

Water also flowed into houses in low-lying areas, and people had to stay awake at night to prevent damage.

Nguyen Hoang Anh Dung, deputy director of the city’s Steering Centre for Flood Control, said nearly 700 workers had been mobilised to clear garbage choking sewers at many places.

The centre also mobilised 27 pumps to drain water from noon on Sunday, but the city’s drainage system could not handle the water, he said.

Reservoirs and other components of the water supply and sewage system would continue to work at full capacity to prevent loss of life and property, Dung said.

The losses caused so far by the flooding cannot be estimates yet, he said.

One person was reported killed by a falling tree on Nguyen Van Linh in Binh Chanh District.

Several trees also fell on Mac Thien Tich Street in District 5, Hoang Dieu Street in District 4 and Duyen Hai in Can Gio, but no casualties or losses have been reported.

An electricity pole fell on a car parked on Thai Van Lung Street in District 1, damaging it and causing a power outage at 19 homes in the vicinity.

On Sunday evening, the Southern Power Corporation co-ordinated with local authorities to cut electricity in some severely flooded areas such as District 7 and Binh Tan, Binh Thanh and Go Vap districts to ensure public safety.

Many domestic and international flights had to be delayed or diverted from Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

The city Department of Education and Training has ordered the closure of schools on Monday.

The city People’s Committee ordered schools in Can Gio District to close on Monday and Tuesday.