Residents of HCMC may face flood levels exceeding alert level 3 this week, according to the southern weather center. The floods will likely occur tomorrow, October 9, and last until October 13, potentially triggering flooding in many parts of the city, the local media reported.


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File photo of a road section in HCMC submerged under water after rain. Residents of HCMC may face flood levels exceeding alert level 3 this week, according to the southern weather center 


The flood levels are forecast to top 1.65-1.7 meters at the Nha Be and Phu An stations on September 9-10, exceeding alert level 3 by 15-20 centimeters.

According to weather expert Le Thi Xuan Lan, the southern region will see a bit of sunshine during the daytime, while rain is expected in the late afternoon and evening. Heavy downpours will appear in the coastal areas of Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces in the Mekong Delta. 

Meanwhile, water levels in the upper Mekong River are falling, below alert level 1. In particular, the daily water level on the Tien River measured at Tan Chau station (An Giang Province) may reach its peak of 3.9 meters, while that on the Hau River at Chau Doc station will top 3.6 meters. In short, the floodwaters in the upper reaches of the river are ebbing, compared with levels recorded a few weeks ago.

Due to the rising flood tides and rain, low-lying and urban areas along river and canal banks, downstream of Mekong Delta River, face a risk of flooding.

In HCMC, many streets have been flooded as a result of the rising floodwaters, including Ho Hoc Lam in Binh Tan District, Huynh Tan Phat in District 7, Le Van Luong in Nha Be and National Highway 50 in Binh Chanh.

To cope with the potentially high tides, the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Control, Search and Rescue of HCMC has asked the relevant departments and agencies to quickly set up preventive measures.

Authorities, especially in the flood-prone districts of Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, Binh Tan and Cu Chi, have to make regular announcements on tide developments through the mass media so that the locals can take precautions. They have also called for materials including fencing nets, sand sacks and timber piles to be readied in preparation for reinforcing important dykes.

The municipal Department of Transport, the HCMC Steering Center of the Urban Flood Control Program, the HCMC Urban Drainage Company and other agencies were asked to prepare manpower, equipment and vehicles to handle and efficiently operate dykes, water drainage systems and dams. In addition, they were required to team up with other agencies to allocate mobile water pumps to handle flooding.

SGGP