Flooding inundates villages outside Hanoi

Floodwaters breach Bui river dike, inundating fields, roads, and residential areas in the former Chuong My district.

On the morning of 31/8, the Bui river reached 7.4 m, exceeding the third-level warning. Despite sandbagging efforts since the previous night, floodwaters breached the Bui 2 dike in Xuan Mai commune (formerly Nam Phuong Tien commune, Chuong My district). By afternoon, the water had begun to inundate fields and residential areas in Nam Hai, Nhan Ly, Hanh Bo, and Tien Tien villages.

Floodwaters enter homes in Nhan Ly village. Xuan Mai commune People's Committee reported that the flood has inundated 109 houses, affecting 315 households. The Bui 2 dike has suffered two landslides, approximately 15 m and 17 m long, respectively. 132 ha of rice paddies, 54 ha of crops, 30 ha of fruit trees, and 41 ha of aquaculture have been submerged, and over 10 km of rural roads are underwater.

The main village road running through Nam Hai, Nhan Ly, and Hanh Bo villages has several sections submerged under more than half a meter of water, making it impassable for motorbikes.

In Dong Gach hamlet, Nhan Ly village, some areas are submerged under more than 80 cm of water, leaving boats as the only means of transportation.

Nguyen Van Do and his neighbors move a washing machine to the second floor to avoid the floodwaters. Three days ago, during heavy rain, Do moved the washing machine upstairs anticipating a breach, but brought it back down when the rain subsided.

Do Van Thang, 53, from Dong Gach hamlet, collects drowned chickens from his coop for disposal. "This year, the water rose slower. Since last night, I moved more than 150 chickens to higher ground, but it was dark, so some were left behind," Thang said.

Dao Thi Lan, from Nhan Ly village, feeds her chickens after moving them to a coop raised 3 m above the ground.

Ngo Thi Sau sits on the second floor, looking down at the road leading to her house, submerged under almost a meter of water. "Last year, we flooded twice for over a month, which disrupted our lives. This year, I don't know how long it will last," she said.

Bui Xa village, situated along the Bui river, has been flooded since the evening of 26/8. Today, the entire 500 m road running through the village is submerged, with the deepest point exceeding one meter.

On the afternoon of 31/8, heavy rain continued in Xuan Mai commune, with water levels expected to rise another 50-100 cm depending on the location.

In Tien Tien village (formerly Tan Tien commune), water has breached the dike, flowing rapidly. Residents are placing sandbags at their entrances, hoping to keep the water out of their homes.

Xuan Mai commune had previously mobilized 650 people, including emergency response teams, soldiers, and civilians, along with 17 vehicles, 17,000 sandbags, and 1,300 cubic meters of sand to reinforce and protect the dike.

Provincial Road 421B, connecting Xuan Mai commune with Kieu Phu commune (formerly Can Huu commune, Quoc Oai district), has been submerged under nearly 1.3 meters of water for the past three days. Authorities have placed warning signs, directing vehicles to alternate routes for safety.