A 30-minute downpour hit just as tides peaked between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., overwhelming the drainage system in the Bui Vien area in downtown Ben Thanh Ward. Water spread across the street, stalling many motorbikes as residents waded through. The street, popular with foreign tourists—especially on weekends—usually stays lively through the night.
According to the Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station, this is the highest tide of the year, with peaks of 1.72 – 1.78 meters recorded at Phu An and Nha Be stations on Nov. 6–7. Water levels rise around 4–6 a.m. and 5–7 p.m., then recede slowly but remain high until Nov. 10.
The flooding stretched about 850 meters along the entire Bui Vien strip from Tran Hung Dao Street to Cong Quynh Street, with the worst section near Cong Quynh reaching nearly half a meter deep, disabling many vehicles.
Water poured into several roadside restaurants.
“It’s the weekend, so we usually have a big crowd, but tonight it’s much quieter because of the flooding,” said Thanh An, a restaurant worker.
Some venues had already set out tables and chairs but saw few customers as water continued seeping in even after 8 p.m.
“When the tide rose, the water didn’t drain away, it actually gushed up from the sewers, flooding the street badly,” said one restaurant manager.
Groups of foreign tourists drinking on sidewalks, keeping their feet on tables as water lapped 10–20 centimeters high.
Residents along Bui Vien used barriers, tables, and chairs to block the water from entering their homes.
Nearby streets such as Cong Quynh and Do Quang Dau were about 30 centimeters deep, disrupting traffic. Many drivers waited on the sidewalks for the water to subside before heading home.
