Worry about flooding during the storm and flood season
Mr. Nguyen Van Thinh, Phan Dinh Phung ward (Thai Nguyen province) is still haunted by the heavy rain in June. Within just a few hours, the river water rose, and the entire neighborhood where he lived was submerged in water.
"My house is near the Cau River, the foundation is low, so if the water exceeds the alarm level, it will be deeply flooded. The recent rain caused water to flood into the house, causing the first floor to be flooded and damage many electronic devices and appliances. The whole neighborhood where I live is flooded, no house can avoid it, Mr. Thinh shared.
Not only Mr. Thinh's family, dozens of other households in residential groups near the Cau River are in the same situation. Every time there is prolonged heavy rain, many families have to raise their beds, move their belongings to the floors, and even proactively evacuate the elderly and children temporarily to ensure safety.
According to the people, the reason for the flooding is partly due to the elevation of the foundation of households lower than the water level of the Cau River. When the water rises to alert level III, just a few hours of rain will cause the entire residential area to be submerged in water. In particular, in small alleys with lower ground than the road surface, water drains slowly, causing prolonged flooding.
In addition, the current drainage system is not operating effectively, many sections of the culverts are small or blocked, making it impossible for water to recede in time when it rains heavily. Pumping points are arranged urgently, but are only temporary solutions.
According to Mr. Dang Quang Ngoc - Vice Chairman of Phan Dinh Phung Ward People's Committee, the current design of the embankment is higher than the foundation of the houses inside. "When the river water rises, crossing the embankment, it will overflow straight into the residential area. The inside is low so there is no way out," said Mr. Ngoc.
Not only are households living along the river afraid, many households living in high-rise apartment buildings in Tien Bo area in the center of Thai Nguyen province are also worried about flooding and landslides every rainy and flood season.
Tien Bo Apartment Complex (TBCO) was built in 2010, including many buildings from 18 to 25 floors high, and is home to thousands of people in the heart of Thai Nguyen province.
During the early rain in July 2025, many areas in Thai Nguyen province were deeply flooded. In particular, the water from Gia Bay area caused Mo Bach stream located near Tien Bo apartment building to flow rapidly and rise. Faced with the risk of landslides, the building management board has temporarily reinforced the Mo Bach stream embankment with sandbags and rocks.
According to the reporter's records last week, the Mo Bach stream area near the TBCO building has many landslides, with both sides of the bank devastated. The distance from the stream to the building is only about 20 - 30m. Hundreds of sandbags and rocks were filled into the food locations on the edge of the building. At the same time, the embankment is temporarily reinforced with bamboo and rattan stakes. The area with an anti-erosion embankment is about 20 - 40m long, located on the edge of the bank between the stream and the land of the apartment building.
A resident at TBCO apartment building said that this embankment area has been reinforced since the beginning of July. At this location, floodwaters from Mo Bach stream rose, causing landslides, about 20 - 30m from the apartment building.
"This is just a temporary plan for a few days of rain and wind. Every time it rains heavily, the water flows back in this stream. People are very worried. Especially in recent years, there has been a lot of rain, often flooding. I also hope to have a definitive solution to ensure safety," said this person.
Previously, in the historic flood in September 2024, nearly 50 households with about 200 people in building A3 of TBCO apartment building were forced to evacuate urgently at night. At that time, the rising water level of the Cau River caused flooding throughout the area around the apartment building. An item in building A3 had an incident, posing a high risk of insecurity. The apartment management board forced the entire building to have no power, and at the same time, together with the authorities, evacuated people to a safe place.
Waiting for solutions
Thai Nguyen province currently has about 48km of dykes, but many sections through the inner city of Thai Nguyen and the suburbs have not been completely closed. During the historic storm and flood Yagi in September 2024, the water level of the Cau River rose, causing a constant risk of flooding in these areas.
The flood peak at Gia Bay hydrological station can sometimes reach 2,881cm, exceeding alert level III by more than 1.8m, causing many residential areas to be deeply flooded. More than 3,800 homes were affected, nearly 15,000 hectares of rice and crops were destroyed. The total estimated damage is more than 780 billion VND.
Mr. Duong Van Hao - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Thai Nguyen province - said that the province has implemented and prepared many measures to minimize damage caused by storms and floods. At the same time, a plan is being developed to complete the Cau River dike system in the period of 2026 - 2030. At the same time, it is proposed to arrange support resources.
While waiting for capital, Thai Nguyen is planning to use local resources to reinforce and handle incidents at existing dykes, dams, and canals. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the management of the protection corridor of the project, strictly handle violations, helping to ensure the project maximizes efficiency in emergency situations.
While waiting for a comprehensive solution, people in low-lying areas still have to struggle to cope with flooding every rainy and stormy season, seriously affecting their lives and livelihoods.
