Many areas in Ho Chi Minh City will be heavily submerged on Thursday when the rising tide of the Saigon River is forecast to reach 1.68 cm, the same as that recorded last month and the highest in the past 61 years, the Southern Hydro-meteorological Station reported. As a cold air front is moving into southern localities, including the city, the northeast winds on the East Sea have got stronger, affecting the levels of rivers in the region. The centre predicted, the tides on many rivers will rise rapidly and will reach their peak on December 5th. At 5:30 pm Tuesday, the tide on the Saigon River reached 1.58 meters, inundating many streets and residential areas in many districts, including Thu Duc District and Districts 8 and 2. On Road 44 in Ward 16, District 8, residents and vehicles had to travel through floodwater up to 0.3 meter deep. At 6 pm today, December 4, the tide will rise to 1.64 meters and it will continue to increase before reaching its peak at 1.68 meters at 4:30 am Friday.
Many houses in An Khanh Ward, District 2 are inundated by the high tide on December 4 morning (Photo: Tuoi Tre)
On Saturday, the tide will begin recede gradually before returning common levels a couple of days later. The Station has warned that the record-high tide will heavily inundate many areas, especially the lowlands, in various districts of the city. The flooding will get worse if heavy rains occur tomorrow. The station warned that the highest tide may also break dykes and embankments. The HCMC Steering Board for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control yesterday requested concerned agencies and authorities of all districts, especially District 12 and Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, Go Vap, Cu Chi, and Hoc Mon to assist residents in taking measures to cope with the high tides, ensure safety for people and minimize possible damage to property.