VI
EN
Hoi An: An ancient town amidst a sea of water.
The ancient town of Hoi An was severely flooded from around October 26th, peaking on October 30th, 2025. According to a news report at 3:30 AM on October 30th, the water level in Hoi An reached 3.4 meters, equaling the historical flood peak of 1964.
The Bạch Đằng and Nguyễn Phúc Chu roads along the Hoài River were flooded to a depth of nearly 2 meters. The Nguyễn Hoàng night market and the area around the Japanese Bridge were submerged, and the water level in the Hội An market reached the rooftops. Locals and tourists had to travel by boat.
Rising floodwaters reached the roof of Hoi An market.
Flooding along the Hoai River
Mai Thanh Chuong, a photographer living in Hoi An, shared: “Although people are used to flooding, this time the water rose so quickly and unexpectedly that many people didn't have time to react. The strong current swept away the doors of some houses, and belongings floated along with the water.” Chuong added that tourists were assisted by the authorities in evacuating to higher hotels for safety.
Streets in the old town have been transformed into "waterways".
In Thanh Ha pottery village, about 3 km from the center of the old town, 400 households were isolated for four days. Nguyen Van Hieu, representative of My Linh pottery workshop, said the water rose so quickly that even elevated furniture couldn't be saved. “The clay materials dissolved, goods and machinery were swept away. Because the water receded slowly, the entire village lost electricity and water, and transportation depended solely on rescue boats,” he said. Activities such as hosting tourists for pottery-making experiences were completely paralyzed, and the extent of the damage is yet to be determined.
At Cam Coffee & More, owner Tran Thao said the floodwaters rose "over the bar counter," even higher than in 2020. "I evacuated before the 29th, but the water rose too quickly, and all my belongings were knocked over. I tried to hire a boat to salvage things, but the current was too strong, and they wouldn't let me in. More than 20 pieces of equipment, such as coffee roasters, grinders, coffee makers, refrigerators, blenders, etc., were all submerged," she recounted.
People and authorities have to travel by boat.
A boat trip to pick up supplies costs about 400,000 dong, but the shop is inaccessible due to strong currents. The shop currently has 11 employees, and all operations have come to a standstill. "If it can be repaired, then we'll fix it; otherwise, we'll have to start over. Now, all we can do is clean up, rearrange things, and gradually rebuild like we did a few years ago," she said.
The Tiếng Vọng Phố lantern-making facility on Hai Bà Trưng Street also suffered heavy damage. On October 28th, the water level rose to over 2 meters, causing a complete power outage and intermittent water cuts throughout the area. The store manager, Mr. Văn Lên, said: “We had moved our goods to higher ground as predicted, but when the floodwaters rose, it was too fast. Customers who had booked tours had to postpone their appointments, and the facility had to temporarily cease operations until the water completely receded.”
Hue: Floods surpass all records, entire city cut off.
From October 25th to 28th, Hue experienced extremely heavy rainfall, with the amount of water pouring down the Bach Ma mountain range reaching 1,740 mm in 24 hours - the highest level in the history of Vietnamese meteorological observations and the second highest in the world, only surpassed by the 1966 record on Réunion Island (France).
Torrential rain caused severe flooding throughout the city, with many inner-city roads such as Mai Thuc Loan, Le Thanh Ton, the Dong Ba River area, Kim Long, etc., all submerged. At 2 PM on October 29th, the water level of the Perfume River at Kim Long reached 4.33 meters, nearly 1 meter above flood warning level 3, causing widespread flooding in both the urban area and the Hue Citadel.
A panoramic view of Hue on October 28th.
Nguyen Tan Anh Phong witnessed the 1999 flood while he was in high school. As someone with years of experience documenting natural disasters in Hue, he believes this flood could go down in history. "The water rose very quickly, then receded, and just when we thought it was over, it rose again, no less intense than the previous flood. All of this happened within just four days. Most of the city's roads turned yellow from the water mixed with mud," he recounted.
Tourists were assisted in evacuating from the flood-affected area.
Even Hue Central Hospital, which rarely experiences flooding, was not spared. On the evening of October 27th, the water level rose nearly 0.5 meters, affecting many departments and requiring the urgent relocation of medical equipment to higher floors. City police and medical staff worked through the night to assist in transferring critically ill patients and ensure the safety of hundreds of people undergoing treatment.
In the upstream area, the Le No bridge in Khe Tre commune was swept away by floods, leaving thousands of households temporarily isolated.
According to a staff member at Hachi Homestay, Ms. Ý, the water level rose to about 1 meter on October 27th, and by the afternoon of October 29th, it had exceeded 1.2 meters, surpassing initial predictions. Although the water began to recede on the 30th, the area around the Imperial Citadel remained flooded.
Flooding in the Hue Imperial Citadel on October 29th.
Remedies and prevention
In both Hue and Hoi An, the floodwaters are receding, and authorities and residents are preparing for recovery efforts. However, some flooded areas remain inaccessible and cannot be cleaned up.
According to the Hue City Meteorological and Hydrological Station, as of October 31st, floodwaters in many areas had not yet completely receded. Forecasts indicate that from the night of October 31st to November 5th, Hue and Quang Nam may continue to experience heavy rain, with some areas receiving over 100 mm/24 hours.
Although the predicted rainfall is not as heavy as the previous one, the hydroelectric reservoirs are already full, and if the rain concentrates in the mountainous areas, the river levels could rise rapidly again. Local authorities are constantly warning people not to be complacent, especially in low-lying areas.
Forecasts indicate that rain will continue in the Hue - Hoi An area for the next 5-6 days, and flooding may persist as floodwaters from the previous four days have not yet receded.
The floods at the end of October 2025 left an unprecedented mark: rainfall in Hue reached record levels, nearly matching the highest rainfall recorded in the world, while in Hoi An, water flooded up to the roof of the central market – something locals said they had "never seen in decades." In the heart of this heritage region, even as the floodwaters receded, the aftermath remained devastating, and the rainy season was far from over.
