HCM City faces severe flooding.

The department reported that in the first nine months of this year, despite having fewer rainy days, the city’s total average rainfall was 33% higher than the same period of last year. Up to 35 streets were flooded, up 18 on-year.

The city saw 36 days with the rainfall of over 50 mmm, up 140% on-year. On August 6, the HCM City’s rainfall measured in Mac Dinh Chi Street area was up to 212 mm, the highest since earlier this year. Meanwhile, the highest rainfall of the city last year was 123.7 mm measured in Nguyen Huu Canh Street area.

Many streets in the city, including Nguyen Van Khoi, Phan Van Hon, Nguyen Huu Canh, Phan Huu Ich and To Ngoc Van are often flooded.

During the January-September phase, HCM City witnessed only four days of severe inundation by flood tides, down four days against the same period of last year.

The Department of Construction has prioritised repairing and dredging drainage systems in areas which are usually flooded.

Earlier, municipal Department of Construction Deputy Director Huynh Thanh Khiet said that HCM City will vow to deal with the inundation in city centre areas in 2021.

Many key works in HCM City, including a VND10 trillion (USD434.78 million) anti-flooding project, are expected to be finished this year. The project with roughly 79% of the total work completed is aimed to control flooding for around 6.5 million people who live near Saigon River and some of the city inner districts.