Heavy rain and floods in northern Vietnam submerge homes and disrupt economy

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Heavy rain caused flooding across parts of northern Vietnam on Thursday, disrupting travel, inundating homes and pushing several rivers above dangerous levels, authorities and state media said.

Rain has fallen across northern and north-central Vietnam this week, with some areas receiving more than 50 centimeters (19.7 inches), according to the disaster prevention department said.

More than 2,000 homes have been submerged, many key transportation routes blocked and more than 1,000 households isolated. Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces, which include lowland and hilly areas south of the capital Hanoi, have been among the hardest hit.

Vietnam is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries and prone to flooding. A series of severe storms last year spurred the country to find new ways to prepare for and manage floods .

In Thanh Hoa province, authorities told students to stay home because flooding had made travel to school dangerous, state media said.

Heavy rains and flooding have submerged or damaged about 10,014 hectares (24,745 acres) of rice and other crops, with the largest losses reported in Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces. Thousands of livestock and poultry also have been killed.

“The flood happens every year,” Ninh Binh resident Tran Ngoc Tai told national broadcaster VTV, adding that people were prepared with fresh water and food.

Many streets in Hanoi were deeply flooded Thursday morning, with water nearly a meter (3.2 feet) deep in some places, disrupting traffic and making it difficult for residents to get to work, take children to school or leave their homes.

Rainfall from Wednesday night to Thursday morning exceeded 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) in some areas, state media said.

Many high schools and universities in Hanoi remained closed or switched to online classes Thursday afternoon as heavy rain caused widespread flooding.

The rising waters of Bui River in the southwest outskirts of Hanoi threatened to flood homes, prompting authorities to deploy hundreds of soldiers to help residents move belongings to higher ground, state media said.

A cold air mass moving south is expected to bring five days of heavy rain to southern Vietnam including flood-prone Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s financial capital, starting Sept. 17, according to the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center.

Forecasters predict widespread rain through Sept. 21. Authorities have warned of flooding in low-lying areas and along waterways. Ho Chi Minh City is forecast to receive 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) of rain, with some areas getting more.

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