High tides from the rising Saigon River will submerge many areas, especially low-lying ones, in Ho Chi Minh City tonight, Chirstmas night, and will continue for a few days afterwards, the Hydro-Meterological Station forecast.

A high tide flooded an alley on Huynh Tan Phat Street, District 7, HCMC last month , Photo: Tuoi Tre

At 5 pm today, the rising high tides from the downstream river will reach 1.48 meters and continue rising to 1.5 meters – danger level 3 – the next morning. On the next day, December 26, the water will reach 1.53 meters by 5 pm, the station said in a report yesterday.

The tide will cause inundation in many areas in Binh Thanh and Thu Duc Districts and District 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 12, the station warned.

The HCMC Steering Board for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control has asked the authorities of the districts where many of the city’s embankment systems run through, like Thu Duc, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi and District 12, to immediately examine and consolidate those systems and take measures to cope with the impacts of the high tides. 

The powerful tides will cause trouble to traffic and affect recreational activities of the city people on Christmas night and a few days later, the Board said.

Source: Tuoi Tre