Year's highest tides flood Can Tho streets

By Cuu Long   October 7, 2022 | 10:00 pm PT
Year's highest tides flood Can Tho streets
People travel on a flooded street amid high tides in Ninh Kieu District in downtown Can Tho, October 8, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Trieu Dong
Many streets in Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta were flooded on Saturday as tides on the Hau River peaked at 2.16 meters, the highest this year.

Water in the Hau River, a tributary of the Mekong, overflew into many streets, flooding houses and offices early on Saturday. The water started to recede at 9 a.m.

Nguyen Minh Trung, who lives on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in the downtown Ninh Kieu District, said he woke up and opened his door to a flooded street, with parts submerged by more than 40 cm.

"It's the highest tides I've seen in many years," Trung said.

Phan Thanh Hai, director of Can Tho Hydro-Meteorological Station, said water from upstream the Mekong river, following heavy rains due to Storm Noru, contributed to the high tides. Hai said tides will remain high for two to three days and can rise to 2.25 meters, repeating the record level in 2019.

Officials have warned of impacts on local rice fields and orchards.

Many streets in downtown Can Tho were also flooded due to high tides on September 30.

The Can Tho ODA Project Management Board proposed in early September a project of VND320 billion ($13.4 million) to upgrade the drainage system in Can Tho to mitigate urban flooding in the city.

The proposal said the project will be carried out from now until mid-2024 to renovate the sewage system in Ninh Kieu District, and build two pumping stations.

Can Tho covers 1,140 square kilometers, with a population of 1.2 million.

More than half the city has often suffered from flooding during heavy rains and high tides, especially the downtown area.

The Research Institute for Climate Change under Can Tho University has stated that Can Tho is subsiding by two to three centimeters a year. Among the reasons are the exploitation of groundwater and rapid urbanization.

 
 
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