According to the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Centre, the tide on the Saigon River continued to rise on the afternoon of October 27.
Water levels reached 1.71 metres at Phu An station at 6 pm, 1.75 metres at Nha Be station at 5 pm and 1.86 metres at Thu Dau Mot station at an unspecified time. The rising tide coincided with evening rush hour, putting heavy pressure on the road network.
A motorbike stalled while passing through a flooded stretch of Le Van Luong Street on the evening of October 27 (Photo: Ngoc Tan).
Water from rivers, canals and drainage systems began rising rapidly at around 5 pm, flooding Le Van Luong and Nguyen Thi Thap streets in the former District 7.
By after 6 pm, stretches of road through low-lying residential areas were submerged under 20-40cm of water, with some spots flooded to more than halfway up motorbike wheels.
Heavy traffic led to prolonged congestion in the affected areas. Deep floodwater entered motorbike exhaust pipes, causing many vehicles to malfunction. Waves generated by cars and light trucks spilled into narrow alleys, forcing residents to use pumps to drain water from their homes.
After 7 pm, floodwater gradually receded at the intersection of Nguyen Thi Thap and Nguyen Huu Tho streets, but a long stretch of Le Van Luong remained flooded.
Flooding caused by the high tide made travel difficult and inconvenient (Photo: Ngoc Tan).
Meteorologists forecast that high tide levels would begin to fall from October 28, but remain above alert level 3 for another one to two days. Residents in low-lying areas near rivers and canals were advised to monitor tide forecasts and move belongings to higher ground to minimise damage.
