Widespread flooding disrupts traffic, business in Hanoi after heavy rain overnight

Widespread flooding disrupts traffic, business in Hanoi after heavy rain overnight Rainfall exceeding 150 mm in several parts of Hanoi from Wednesday night to Thursday morning has caused widespread flooding that paralyzed traffic and forced shop closures. 9h50 Meter-deep floodwaters force residents to row boats down streetContinuous downpours from Wednesday night through Thursday morning submerged sections of Cau Coc Street in Tay Mo Ward under nearly a meter of water, forcing local residents to rely on boats to move around. Located within the Nhue River basin on Hanoi's western periphery, the area frequently suffers from severe inundation due to an incomplete and uncoordinated drainage network. Rising water levels inundated streets, prompting school closures for local students and disrupting daily life as residents used makeshift styrofoam containers and small boats to transport goods and buy groceries. A woman floats goods in a styrofoam container while wading through floodwaters on Cau Coc Street. Photo by Hoang Giang Students stay home from school as heavy downpours trigger severe local flooding. Photo by Hoang Giang A resident rows a small boat down the deeply submerged street to pick up groceries for his family. Photo by Hoang Giang 9h25 Floodwaters inundate homes and shut down businesses Water levels exceeded half a meter on Cau Coc Street in Tay Mo Ward, spilling directly into residential homes and severely disrupting daily life across the neighborhood. A series of roadside shops were forced to shut their doors, with residents and business owners scrambling to move belongings to higher ground. Despite staying up through the night to safeguard their inventory, several shopkeepers still saw goods submerged as the water rose. Floodwaters exceed half a meter along Cau Coc Street in Tay Mo Ward. Photo by Hoang Giang Storefront shops stand submerged along the flooded roadway. Photo by Hoang Giang Water reaches elevated inventory inside a shop after residents stayed awake overnight attempting to protect their goods. Photo by Hoang Giang 9h15 Downpours and floodwaters paralyze trafficDeep floodwaters on Cau Dien Street in Tay Tuu Ward have paralyzed traffic in both directions near the Nhon – Hanoi metro line, trapping long lines of vehicles across several kilometers heading to and from the city center. Motorists along the National Highway 32 corridor crowded into elevated ground around the pillars of the metro line in an effort to bypass the submerged road surface. Vehicles crowd the higher ground around elevated railway pillars along National Highway 32 as Cau Dien Street floods. Photo by The Bang Motorcyclists remain stranded in pouring rain amid severe gridlock. Photo by The Bang Hundreds of cars sit bumper-to-bumper in an extensive queue along the flooded corridor. Photo by The Bang 8h50 Deep floodwaters submerge Nam An Khanh urban area, stalling commutersStreets surrounding the Nam An Khanh Urban Area in Tay Mo Ward remain 30 to 40 cm flooded, leaving numerous vehicles stranded in water. Despite the situation, local educators pressed through the deluge to keep classrooms open. Thu Huyen and Thu Phuong, preschool teachers in the urban area who arrived at 6:45 a.m., noted that they made every effort to traverse the heavy rain and flooded corridors to receive students so parents could still report to work. A tow truck assists a stalled car along a submerged street in Tay Mo Ward. Photo by Hoang Giang Floodwaters pool deeply across a section of the Nam An Khanh Urban Area. Photo by Hoang Giang Preschool teachers Thu Huyen and Thu Phuong navigate the rain to welcome students to class in the Nam An Khanh Urban Area. Photo by Hoang Giang 8h50 Severe thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes expected in Hanoi in next 3 hoursConvective storm clouds are actively expanding across Hanoi, bringing showers and severe thunderstorms to wide areas of the city over the next three hours, according to an 8:50 a.m. bulletin from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. Satellite, radar, and lightning tracking indicate the storm front is initially striking eastern, southern, and western districts—including Hoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, Hoang Mai, Long Bien, Tu Liem, and My Duc—before spreading into central and western sectors such as Dong Da, Thanh Xuan, Thach That, and Son Tay. Authorities advise residents across affected areas to brace for dangerous convective phenomena, including tornadoes, lightning, strong wind gusts, and possible hail. 8h40 Many central streets spared from floodingSeveral streets in Hoan Kiem and Hoang Mai wards in central Hanoi, including Phung Hung, Nguyen Khuyen, Phan Boi Chau, and Ly Thuong Kiet, are clear to travel on Thursday morning. While Vinh Hoang Street in Vinh Hung Ward experienced deep localized flooding earlier in the morning, the water had cleared after 8:00 a.m. Phung Hung Street has drained well after rain on Thursday morning. Photo by Giang Huy Nguyen Khuyen Street stays clear following the rain. Photo by Giang Huy No flooded spots have been reported across the Hoan Kiem Ward area. Photo by Giang Huy 8h20 Elevated Ring Road 3 gridlocked as drivers flee flooded surface corridorsTorrential rain triggered widespread flooding across Pham Hung Street and the Mai Dich intersection, driving motorists onto the elevated Ring Road 3 and paralyzing traffic along the expressway. Rising water levels left key ground-level routes impassable through Cau Giay Ward, forcing heavy streams of vehicles onto the viaduct ramps and causing severe bumper-to-bumper congestion along the overhead corridor. Video by Anh Phu 8h15 Torrential rain inundates My Dinh and Tay Mo, stranding commutersRelentless downpours have submerged streets across My Dinh and Tay Mo under up to half a meter of water, stalling vehicles and forcing commuters to push their motorbikes on foot. Key routes around My Dinh Street are inundated to depths of 30 cm, while roads surrounding Tay Mo Junior High School and Dai Mo High School face widespread waterlogging of up to 50 cm. The severe flooding trapped residents in their neighborhoods during morning transit. Dinh Van Ngoc, 26, a resident of Tay Mo Ward, found himself stranded after attempting several impassable routes, ultimately having to seek outside help to deliver a time-sensitive study abroad application in Cau Giay. Drainage pumps operate along Thai Ha Street as water levels overwhelm discharge capacity. Photo by Huy Manh Despite deep water obstructing typical paths, some locals maintained their routines. Tay Mo residents Le Thi Tham and Nguyen Thi Nga completed their daily 12-to-13-kilometer morning run, noting that while the high water complicated their pace and course, they pressed forward out of regular habit. Photo by Huy Manh High water covers the streetscape across Tay Mo Ward. Photo by Hoang Giang Commuters push stalled motorbikes through submerged streets in Tay Mo Ward. Photo by Huy Manh Downpours batter My Dinh Street, stalling vehicles in rising water. Photo by Ngoc Ngoc 8h05 Floodwaters engulf roadway outside Yen Nghia bus stationNational Highway 6 in Ha Dong Ward is inundated from Do Lo through the approach to Yen Nghia Bus Station, leaving nearly the entire road surface submerged under water exceeding 50 cm at its deepest point. Vehicles are forced into a single file along the median lane, triggering a two-kilometer traffic backlog along the corridor. Heavy flooding inundates National Highway 6 near Yen Nghia Bus Station and the Cat Linh - Ha Dong metro line. Photo by Gia Chinh Floodwaters submerge nearly the entire surface of National Highway 6 directly outside the entrance to Yen Nghia Bus Station. Photo by Gia Chinh 8h00 Cars submerged to wheel level on flooded Pham Tu StreetPham Tu Street heading toward K Hospital and former National Highway 70 in Thanh Tri Ward is inundated by roughly 30 cm, prompting authorities to erect warning barriers preventing vehicles from entering. Floodwaters have brought morning traffic to a standstill, leaving multiple vehicles stranded as commuters struggle to navigate the high water. Motorbikes crowd into car lanes to navigate deep flooding along Pham Tu Street. Photo by Pham Chieu A stalled car stands in the middle of the submerged street. Photo by Pham Chieu Parked vehicles sit submerged nearly to wheel height along the flooded roadway. Photo by Pham Chieu Read more |