Heavy downpour turns Hanoi commute into hours-long ordeal

Many people reported spending several hours on the road before reaching their destinations, while others had to abandon vehicles that broke downs in the floodwaters.

Hai Anh, 28, shared her frustrating experience of trying to get to work. She had anticipated delays due to the rain and left earlier than usual but still found herself stuck in traffic for over two hours.

"Normally, it takes me about 45 minutes, but today it took almost three hours," she said. "The streets were jammed, and traffic was at a standstill, especially around Pham Hung [in western Hanoi] and Nguyen Trai [in southwestern Hanoi]."

Many drivers tried to cut across lanes, which only worsened the situation, she said.

Residents in Hanoi pushing their vehicles past a flooded area near My Dinh Stadium on Sept. 30, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Loc Chung.

In the western part of the city, Anh Duc, 35, experienced a breakdown while driving along Le Quang Dao Road.

"I saw traffic moving slowly, but I pressed on hoping to make it on time," he said.

But his vehicle stalled near My Dinh Stadium, and he had to walk it for over 400 meters to escape the waters. Unable to find a repair shop, he had to abandon his plans to go to work.

For many parents, the rain added an extra layer of difficulty. Nguyen Trang, 30, a mother of three, had to drop off her fourth-grade son at school despite the storm.

"I had to wrap his backpack in plastic, but we had to turn back after going a kilometer," she said. "The rain was very heavy, and my motorcycle broke down."

With her younger children’s school closed due to flooding, Trang had no choice but to skip office to take care of them.

Several areas in the west Hanoi, like Nam Cuong, Phu Dien, and Le Duc Tho, were flooded, causing severe disruptions to daily life. Several underpasses on Thang Long Avenue were reportedly submerged, further adding to the traffic chaos.

According to the capital’s Drainage Company, the flooding was caused by heavy rainfall from Storm Bualoi since Monday evening. Some areas experienced intense rainfall, with Xuan Mai and Tay Mo in western Hanoi receiving 198 mm and 169 mm in the past 24 hours, and Phu Luong in the south getting 118 mm.

To drain the floodwaters, the company has been operating pumps at key locations, including Yen So and Cau Buou in the south. But the Yen So station, where only five of 20 pumps have been running, is struggling to cope.

 

 

Heavy downpour turns Hanoi commute into hours-long ordeal

Ngập lụt trước SVĐ Mỹ Đình_VID: Lộc Chung