From noon on October 3, a heavy rain with strong thunderstorms lasted for 2 hours, turning many gateway routes in the Northwest and North of Ho Chi Minh City into "rivers". Many people traveling through deeply flooded areas struggled to find ways to overcome the rushing water.
According to records, the rain is mainly concentrated in areas that were previously considered the "flooded center" of the city such as District 12 and Go Vap District. After only about 30 minutes, many roads were submerged in water, some places were flooded more than half a meter.
Major roads such as Nguyen Van Qua, Phan Van Hon, Song Hanh (Dong Hung Thuan ward, formerly District 12), Phan Huy Ich, Pham Van Chieu, Nguyen Van Khoi, Le Van Tho (formerly Go Vap district) ... all fell into a state of disorder, hundreds of vehicles stalled in the middle of the road.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hung (formerly living in District 12) said: "When I was riding a motorbike home, the water rose almost to the saddle, the waves hit me hard, causing many people to fall. I had to walk for kilometers to get out of the flooded section. Many households living along the roads have reported water flooding into their homes, their belongings are wet, and their daily activities are disrupted.
Not only motorbikes, many cars also have difficulty traveling through deeply flooded roads. Rescue forces and local police have been mobilized to support people in their movement. However, due to the heavy and prolonged rainfall, local congestion still occurred in many areas.
According to the Southern Hydrometeorological Station, on the afternoon of October 3, thunderstorms continued to appear in some districts of Ho Chi Minh City. It is forecasted that high tides combined with heavy rain in the coming days can make the flooding situation in the city's gateways more complicated.
Many people expressed their hope that the city will soon have a fundamental solution to limit the repeated "flood running in the heart of the city" every time there is heavy rain.
