VI
EN
Central Vietnam is experiencing devastating days as a historic flood strikes with terrifying intensity, evoking the horrific memories of the "great flood of 1999"—a flood that caused severe damage to the region. In the ancient capital of Hue, people have been fighting and fleeing the floodwaters through sleepless nights, facing the sudden rise of murky red water that submerged streets and historical sites. Alarmingly, authorities have confirmed that this flood has "very unusual" characteristics, even surpassing historical records.
The Chairman of the People's Committee of Hue City stated, "This flood peak on the Bo River has exceeded that of the historic flood of 1999." Accordingly, rainfall in Thua Thien Hue reached a record high of 500-700 mm, with Bach Ma peak recording up to 2,785 mm. The Bo River flood at Phu Oc peaked at 5.25 m, 0.75 m above alarm level three. Meanwhile, the Huong River flood, although lower than the 1999 peak, was still 1.55 m above alarm level three, causing the Hue Imperial Citadel and many historical relics to be submerged by more than 1 meter after peaking overnight.
Many roads in Hue are submerged in water due to continuous heavy rain.
Experts believe that without a timely coordinated dam and reservoir system, this flood peak would certainly have been equivalent to or higher than the historic flood of 1999, the year Thua Thien Hue suffered horrific loss of life.
Heavy rain caused many main roads in the central wards and communes of Hue City, such as Le Quy Don, To Huu, and Nguyen Hue, to be flooded to a depth of about 0.5-1 meter.
Faced with the critical situation, the entire political system, from the city level to the grassroots, implemented decisive flood prevention and control measures starting from the afternoon of October 25th. This proactive approach proved effective, with rapid dissemination of information and evacuation of residents in low-lying areas carried out during the nights of October 26th and 27th, significantly reducing property damage compared to the 1999 flood.
Even when floodwaters first inundated major healthcare facilities, forces were able to promptly move patients to safety. The efficient operation of technology-supported systems like HueS and the cooperation of the people were key factors in controlling the situation, especially in the context of the newly implemented two-tiered government model which was still unfamiliar with many aspects.
Heavy rains brought a tremendous amount of water upstream in Hue, forcing hydroelectric and irrigation reservoirs to release floodwaters urgently to ensure safety.
Meanwhile, in the ancient town of Hoi An, the situation is equally tense. The Hoai River's water level has exceeded alert level two, causing bustling tourist streets like Tran Phu and Hai Ba Trung to be flooded up to 1 meter deep. All transportation in the old town has switched to boats. Notably, many tourists have chosen to stay to experience the unique feeling of "living in the flood," despite being surrounded by water.
Statistics from previous historical flood years show that natural disasters in Central Vietnam have caused estimated damage exceeding 36 trillion VND and resulted in hundreds of deaths and missing persons. The flood situation is predicted to remain complex until the end of October. The Civil Defense Command continuously advises people to absolutely not be complacent after the water recedes, especially to be cautious about the risks of accidents and disease outbreaks. Currently, localities are urgently implementing the principle of "addressing problems as soon as the water recedes" to quickly repair landslides, ensure traffic flow, and clean up the environment, determined to bring life back to normal as soon as possible.
