Around 6:30 p.m., heavy thunderstorms inundated several alleys along Chu Van An Street in Binh Thanh Ward, which was formerly Binh Thanh District, with water levels reaching up to one meter.
The area, which lacks a proper drainage system and lies in a low-lying zone, is prone to severe flooding during heavy rainfall.
In one severely flooded alley off Chu Van An Street, a man tries to retrieve a motorbike he had parked on the sidewalk.
Floodwaters swept garbage into the streets, blocking drains and forcing Hoa (pictured) to wade through deep water to clear the debris. He recalled that the rain was so heavy his neighborhood flooded severely within just 10 minutes.
"Our family was about to sit down for dinner when water started pouring into the house. Now, we're trying to stop the flooding inside while clearing trash from the streets to help the water drain faster," he said.
About two kilometers from away, on Dang Thuy Tram Street in Ward 13 (which is also formerly part of Binh Thanh District), To Van Nam was seen helping people push their motorbike through a submerged section.
Le Dinh Quyet, head of forecasting at the Southern Region and Central Highlands Hydrometeorological Center, said the heavy rain was caused by a convergence zone forming over southern Vietnam, along with humid sea winds meeting high temperatures, which created unstable atmospheric conditions.
Drainage water overflowed onto Dang Thi Ranh Street near Thu Duc Market, about 15 kilometers from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. More than 20 minutes of heavy rain also flooded nearby streets, including Kha Van Can and Duong Van Cam.
By 7 p.m., a man abandoned his motorbike and waded nearly a kilometer along Duong Van Cam Street to pick up his 10-year-old son from an extra class.
The man (pictured) said flooding on this road worsens each year, often reaching depths of over a meter, and he felt uneasy leaving his child at school under such conditions.
A woman placed her young child in a plastic bucket to navigate through the floodwaters on Duong Van Cam Street in Thu Duc City.
For several years, whenever flooding occurs near Thu Duc Market, 52-year-old Luu Tan Hoa and other local residents have taken it upon themselves to warn passersby and guide them toward safer routes.
“Many people aren’t familiar with the area and end up driving into deeply flooded sections, causing their engines to stall and leaving them to push their motorbikes through the water,” Hoa said.
The intersection between Linh Dong and To Ngoc Van Streets was submerged under half a meter of fast-moving water, causing vehicles to stall. Many drivers were forced to push their motorbikes through the floodwaters.
Pham Thi Cong, 58 (R) had to ask for help crossing the flooded road. “My house is nearby, but the water was flowing so strongly that I was afraid to cross,” she said.
Traffic congestion extended for about 5 kilometers along Pham Van Dong Street after the heavy rainfall, causing severe disruptions from the former Binh Thanh District to Thu Duc City.
Many commuters resorted to lifting their motorbikes over barriers along the street in an effort to escape the gridlock.
Quyet the meteorologist explained that over the past week, HCMC and southern Vietnam experienced unusually hot weather during the rainy season due to the influence of a subtropical high-pressure system combined with a strong western low-pressure zone.
He forecast that this pattern would gradually weaken between Wednesday and Sunday, leading to widespread rainfall across the region. He also advised residents to remain cautious of potential thunderstorms and whirlwinds.
