The 500-meter road running through the village was submerged under approximately 50 cm of water. Families moved their cars and motorbikes to dry areas, sold fish from their tanks, and carried belongings to upper floors.

While moving two motorbikes from his yard to the first floor, Bui Thanh Tan explained that the water began rising at 1 a.m. By midday, the water level was 1.5 meters below the road surface, but by 7 p.m., it had overflowed into his yard. "Last year, Bui Xa flooded twice, once for nearly a month. This year, the water isn't rising as quickly, and many houses have been built with multiple floors, so we only need to move things upstairs, not evacuate to the school like before," he said, predicting that if the rain continued, the village road could be submerged under nearly a meter of water by the next morning.

Floodwaters inundate Bui Xa village road on the evening of 26/8. Photo: Gia Chinh

Floodwaters inundate Bui Xa village road on the evening of 26/8. Photo: Gia Chinh

Situated next to the Bui River, Bui Xa serves as a flood plain for Xuan Mai commune. Heavy rainfall upstream causes the river to swell, impacting downstream areas including Xuan Mai (formerly Nam Phuong Tien commune), Tran Phu (formerly Hoang Van Thu commune), and Kieu Phu (formerly Can Huu commune, Quoc Oai district). With 120 households and nearly 500 residents, the village is considered the epicenter of the flood zone.

On the afternoon of 26/8, water levels in the Tich, Bui, and Day rivers all rose. At 5 p.m., the Bui River at Yen Duyet exceeded the warning level one by 0.34 meters; the Tich River at Vinh Phuc was 0.55 meters below warning level three. The Northern Meteorological and Hydrological Station forecast that in the next 12-24 hours, the Tich River could exceed warning level three, the Bui River could reach warning level three, and the Day River could reach warning level one. Flooding is expected to spread to residential areas along the Bui River.

The Dyke Management and Flood and Storm Control Department has instructed Hanoi to implement dyke protection plans, safeguard critical infrastructure, address any incidents, and intensify patrols and surveillance along the dykes.

Bui Thanh Tan moves his motorbike to higher ground. Photo: Gia Chinh

Bui Thanh Tan moves his motorbike to higher ground. Photo: Gia Chinh

Over the past 24 hours, Hanoi has experienced heavy rainfall, with Thach That district recording over 360 mm. The downpour caused flooding of 0.5-1 meters in several central streets, paralyzing traffic and disrupting daily life.

In 2024, the Xuan Mai, Tran Phu, and Kieu Phu areas experienced two flooding events, in late July and mid-September. The latter, caused by Typhoon Yagi and heavy rain, resulted in the inundation of 58 villages, affecting over 5,100 households and nearly 23,000 people in the former Chuong My district. Authorities had to evacuate 2,100 households, comprising over 8,800 individuals.

Gia Chinh