Amid complex weather developments, local authorities have proactively implemented response plans, mobilised on-site forces, provided timely assistance, and evacuated residents from areas at risk of flooding and landslides, thereby minimising damage caused by heavy rain and flooding.
Heavy rain causes flooding and isolates communities
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, heavy rain occurred in many localities from September 14 to 16. Thanh Hoa Province recorded widespread rainfall of 180–350mm and locally more than 500mm, while some areas of Phu Tho received more than 300mm.
In Nghe An Province, water from upstream areas, streams, and creeks flowed down rapidly, causing severe flooding in many residential areas in Nghia Loc, Dong Hieu, and Quynh Van communes. In Quynh Van Commune, heavy rain from the evening of September 15 caused water to overflow into several low-lying residential areas. That same night, the commune mobilised police and military forces to help residents elevate their belongings and move valuables to higher ground.
In Nghia Thuan Village, Dong Hieu Commune, floodwaters inundated several residential areas, affecting hundreds of households. In some places, floodwaters reached 1m deep. On National Highway 48 through Thuan Thanh Village, water in some places rose to more than 1m, making it impossible for vehicles to pass.
In Dong Hieu Commune, heavy rain caused water levels to rise in many areas. On the morning of September 16, local authorities proactively opened the spillway to lower water levels and ensure the safety of the structure. Local authorities mobilised forces to residential areas to help residents evacuate ahead of the rising floodwaters and move livestock and poultry to higher ground.
Nguyen Thi, a resident of Thuan Thanh Village, said that the water level rose so quickly that his family did not have time to move their belongings, resulting in severe property damage and the loss of livestock and poultry.
In Thanh Hoa, prolonged heavy rain caused localised flooding in urban, coastal areas, and in the province's southwestern mountainous areas. Nearly 100 spill points on rural roads experienced landslides and suffered road damage and flooding, while water levels on the Buoi River rose above Level III flood alert.
To Anh Dung, Chairman of the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, said that he had asked the Department of Construction to urgently review all locations at risk of localised flooding during heavy rain and, on that basis, build specific measures to comprehensively resolve the situation. He also stressed that connections between drainage systems, culverts, and regulating lakes must be planned in a coordinated manner to ensure adequate drainage capacity and avoid increasing the risk of flooding.
Proactively responding to the prolonged rain, farmers in localities across Thanh Hoa Province mobilised more than 1,000 harvesting machines, accelerated the harvesting of ripe rice, and successfully harvested more than 38,000ha, following the principle of “Green at home is better than ripe in the field”.
According to a rapid assessment, by noon on September 16, Thanh Hoa had 90 houses and nearly 800ha of crops inundated, including more than 337ha of rice. Irrigation enterprises in the province have been continuously operating 55 drainage pumping stations with 207 pumps and 30 drainage sluices to ensure effective water drainage, flood prevention, and protection of crops from damage.
Khuong Ba Luan, General Director of Song Chu One Member Company Limited, said that the company has been operating 128 pumping stations with 196 pumps and has currently opened 10 drainage sluices to drain water for nearly 300ha of flooded rice and other crops.
In Ha Noi, continuous heavy rain has battered a wide area, exceeding the designed capacity of the drainage system and causing flooding on many streets in the inner city. As of 6 a.m. on September 16, several areas of the city were inundated, including Co Linh Road, Ngoc Lam Street, Phu Xa Street, Hoa Bang Street, and Trieu Khuc Street.
The mountainous areas on the outskirts of Ha Noi also face potential risks of landslides and ground subsidence in Ba Vi, Phu Cat, Suoi Hai, Yen Bai, Yen Xuan, Kim Anh, Soc Son, and Trung Gia communes. At the same time, water levels in regulating lakes, irrigation canals, and rivers flowing through the city have risen.
At 4 a.m. on September 16, the water level of the Tich River at the Vinh Phuc hydrological station exceeded Level II flood alert, threatening to inundate Ha Bang, Kieu Phu, Phu Cat, Xuan Mai, and Phu Nghia communes. On the Bui River, water levels rose very rapidly, exceeding Level III flood alert at the Yen Duyet hydrological station at 11:30 a.m. on September 16.
Given the unpredictable nature of the heavy rain and flooding, Le Thanh Nam, Deputy Head of the city's Civil Defence Command and Director of the Ha Noi Department of Agriculture and Environment, issued a Level III flood alert on the Bui River and a Level II flood alert on the Tich River, and requested riverside localities to strictly comply with regulations upon the issuance of flood alerts.
Proactively evacuating residents to safe areas
In response to the severe weather, localities urgently implemented response measures, provided assistance, and evacuated residents to safe areas. In Tam Thai Commune, Nghe An Province, more than 630 households, with about 3,000 people, were temporarily cut off by flooding. At a spillway spot on the road from Xop Nam Hamlet to Phong Hamlet, rising floodwaters cut off access, preventing students at the former Tam Hop Ethnic Semi-Boarding Secondary School from travelling.
Lo Duong Khanh, Chairman of the Tam Thai Commune People's Committee, said that to provide essential supplies to more than 200 students, on-duty forces from Tam Hop Border Guard Station and the Tam Thai Commune Military Command have taken turns to deliver meals to the students while the road remains cut off.
According to the Chairman of the Tam Thai Commune People's Committee, a key priority of local authorities is restoring access to areas currently cut off, in case residents fall ill or require emergency or urgent medical care.
In Thanh Hoa, to ensure residents' safety, local authorities evacuated 159 households with 604 people from areas at high risk of natural disasters to safe locations. The Thanh Hoa Provincial Department of Education and Training instructed school principals to proactively update information on rain and storms and propose to Party committees and local authorities, or decide on, whether students should be granted leave. Nghi Son Primary School in the south of the province, along with several schools in mountainous areas, suspended classes for thousands of students to ensure their safety.
In Phu Tho Province, the water level of the Boi River at 3 p.m. on September 16 was 0.51m above Level III flood alert. According to the Phu Tho Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, 114 households, comprising 481 people, have so far been relocated from areas at risk of landslides to safe accommodation. Heavy rain has caused flooding and landslides on many roads in the communes. Local authorities at all levels and relevant forces are working tirelessly to assist residents overcome the consequences of the heavy rain and flooding.
To proactively prevent and respond to heavy rain, flooding, flash floods, landslides, whirlwinds, lightning, and hail, the People's Committees of provinces affected by heavy rain, including Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, and Phu Tho, have issued directives requiring provincial civil defence commands, departments, sectors, and localities to continue closely monitoring the situation; strengthen leadership and direction; and proactively implement drastic, timely, and effective measures to prevent, respond to, and overcome the consequences of natural disasters, particularly heavy rain and flooding, flash floods, and landslides. They have also been instructed to review response plans and promptly evacuate residents from dangerous areas; proactively drain water to prevent inundation; and deploy forces ready to respond to emergencies. Close monitoring of locations at risk of landslides and river water levels is also required so that timely measures can be taken.
