River tides rise high, flood Saigon streets

By Huu Khoa November 15, 2020 | 07:23 pm PT

High river tides measuring 1.66 meters flooded Saigon’s streets on Sunday and many motorbike riders took a tumble while trying to navigate them.

The tide reached 1.66 meters at the Nha Be Station on the Dong Dien River at 4 p.m. Sunday and the same tide level was also recorded at the Phu An Station in the Saigon River, according to data from the Southern Hydrometeorological Center. Many low-lying areas in Saigons expat districts such as Tran Xuan Soan, Huynh Tan Phat streets in District 7 and Luong Dinh Cua in District 2 were heavily flooded.At Truong Dinh Hoi Street in District 4 under the foot of Tan Thuan 1 Bridge, the water level rose by nearly 50 cm, causing many motorbikes to end up with dead engine.

At both the Nha Be Station on the Dong Dien River and the Phu An Station on the Saigon River the tide measured 1.66 meters, according to the Southern Hydrometeorological Center. Many low-lying areas in expat neighborhoods such as Tran Xuan Soan and Huynh Tan Phat streets in District 7 and Luong Dinh Cua Street in District 2 looked like lakes.
On Truong Dinh Hoi Street in District 4 under the Tan Thuan 1 Bridge the water level stood at nearly 50 cm, causing many motorbikes to stall.

A car struggles to go through a flooded street in District 4. The center forecast the tide to reach 1.76 meters at the Nha Be Station at 5 p.m. on Monday, the highest levels this year.

A car struggles to go through a flooded street in District 4.
The center has forecast the tide to rise to 1.76 meters at the Nha Be Station by 5 p.m. on Monday, the highest this year.

Truong Thi Nhu Loi, 19, from Dong Nai, which neighbors HCMC, walks through a flooded street to reach her relatives house in District 4 after her motobikes engine died. The street was flooded and my husband had to walk with our motorbike ahead, I was pregnant, so I must carefully follow the sidewalk, Nhu said.

Truong Thi Nhu Loi, 19, a visitor from the neighboring Dong Nai Province, walks through a flooded street to reach a relative's house in District 4 after her motorbike stalled. She said: "The street was flooded and my husband has to wheel our motorbike. I was pregnant, and so I have to carefully walk on the sidewalk."

A woman without hetmet staggers while driving through Truong Dinh Hoi Street.

A woman staggers while riding on Truong Dinh Hoi Street.

Nguyen Thi Xuan in Nha Be District fell after being get stuck into a pothole while walking her motorbike whose engine died due to rising waters. Due to floodwaters I couldnt see potholes to avoid them. I went to a friends house in District 4, said Xuan who received help from a passer-by to stand.

Nguyen Thi Xuan of Nha Be District fell after her motorbike hit a pothole.
"Due to the water I could not see potholes," she said. She was helped up by a passer-by.

At 5:30 p.m. when the water level receded motorbike drivers walked with their motorbike through a street submerged under 30 cm of water.

At 5:30 p.m., when the waters receded somewhat, motorcyclists wheel their vehicles through a street under 30 cm of water.

Roads were so difficult to travel. If not be careful, it would be easy to get stuck in potholes, said Huynh Minh Thong, who walked with his bike selling banh gio (pyramidal rice dumpling).

Huynh Minh Thong, who sells banh gio (rice dumpling), said: "The roads were very difficult to navigate. If we are not careful, it would be easy to get stuck in potholes."

The area of under-construction tide-control sewer system project at the corner of Truong Dinh Hoi Street was also heavily flooded. Work on the project started in June 2016 and is scheduled to be completed at the end of December this year. Once completed, the sewer system will prevent tides from the Saigon River pouring into Te, Doi and Tau Hu - Ben Nghe canals, as well as mitigate flooding for people in districts 4, 7 and 8.

A portion of a tide-control sewer system that is being built was also flooded on Truong Dinh Hoi Street. Work on it began in 2016 and it is scheduled to be completed at the end of this year. Once built, the sewer system will prevent tides in the Saigon River from entering the Te, Doi and Tau Hu - Ben Nghe canals, preventing flooding in districts 4, 7 and 8.

In District 7 to the south of HCMC, water from Te Canal overflew into Tran Xuan Soan Street, making this area like a river. Meteorologist Le Thi Xuan Lan said the rising tides are due to both natural and manmade causes. Ninety percent of this year s highest tides will occur in October and November due to the changes in the gravitational pull of the moon and earth. The tide levels would gradually decrease next year, reaching their lowest in July, she said.

In District 7 in the south of HCMC, the Te Canal overflowed into Tran Xuan Soan Street, turning it into a river.
Meteorologist Le Thi Xuan Lan said, "Ninety percent of this year's highest tides will occur in October and November due to the changes in the gravitational pull of the moon and earth." The levels would gradually decrease next year, reaching their lowest in July, she added.

Ha Thi Nguyet Thuy, owner of a food stall in Tan Thuan Tay Ward (District 7), built the oven with two layers of bricks to avoid water. She said that over the past two days at about 3 a.m., the whole family woke up because the water flooded into the house and there was no ways to sleep.

Ha Thi Nguyet Thuy, owner of a food stall in Tan Thuan Tay Ward (District 7), has two layers of bricks under her ovens to prepare for the Monday afternoon tides. She said in the last two days her whole family woke up at around 3 a.m. after water entered her house.