Lately, the provinces have experienced persistent powerful storms with heavy rain, leading to localized flooding and fallen trees in various areas. Rresidents in Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Ho Chi Minh City have perturbed about danger that they could face when they need to commute during stormy conditions.
The heavy rain on the evening of August 26 caused severe flooding in several areas of Ben Cat City, Binh Duong Province, resulting in significant property damage. According to the People's Committee of Ben Cat City, the rain flooded some sections of My Phuoc Ward under 0.4-0.6 meters. In some places, water flooded people's homes, classrooms, and factories, damaging electrical equipment. Vehicles were stalled on many internal roads.
Subsequently, on the afternoon of September 4, a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds blew away numerous house roofs, uprooted dozens of trees, damaged infrastructure, and led to localized flooding in Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong. Authorities recorded 13 large trees uprooted and falling, affecting traffic and power lines, and crushing parked vehicles.
In the neighboring province of Dong Nai, flooding has become a common occurrence during the rainy season, causing great anxiety among residents, especially in the center of Bien Hoa City. Areas like the road in front of Dong Nai Children's Hospital, National Highway 1 (passing through Tan Hiep and Long Binh Wards), and National Highway 1K (Hoa An Ward) are frequently inundated.
The border area between Bien Hoa City and Di An City of Binh Duong Province also experiences deep flooding, with strong currents posing significant risks to pedestrians.
According to experts, heavy rains in the Southeast region are often characterized by their sudden onset and accompanying strong winds. This poses a great danger to people traveling on the road or working at high elevations on construction sites.
A resident in Thu Dau Mot City of Binh Duong Province was shaken by the storm on August 26. She recalled the moment she left work, dark clouds along with strong winds, suddenly appeared. Numerous trees were uprooted and landed on parked cars. Concerned for her safety, she had to pause and find refuge under the eaves of a nearby house.
Amid heavy rain and thunderstorms, Binh Duong provincial leaders, led by Standing Vice Chairman Mai Hung Dung, have taken proactive measures to prevent and minimize human and property losses.
in HCMC, around 3 p.m. on September 4 , a woman was riding a motorbike from Ward 10 of District 6 to pick up her child from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education when she was struck and killed by a falling tree branch on An Duong Vuong Street in District 5.
Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Huynh Anh of Ho Chi Minh City Green Parks Company Limited said that the company has required affiliated units to concentrate on human resources and equipment to increase on-call response to tree incidents. The company conducts patrols and inspections of trees in streets, parks, and in areas with frequent crowds, playgrounds, walkways after thunderstorms, to propose to investors to promptly handle broken or leaning trees.
Since the beginning of the year, the company has cut down 1,932 trees, and collected long branches on the streets and in parks.
A representative of the Technical Infrastructure Management Center under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction also said that the unit has issued a plan to prevent, respond to and overcome incidents in the green tree sector during the rainy and stormy season in 2024.
Specifically, the unit requires relevant parties to regularly strengthen patrols and inspections of the green tree system on the streets and in parks, review leaning and bent trees, trim the edges of the canopy and long branches, cut down and replace dead and dry trees, arrange on-duty personnel, proactively coordinate human resources to participate in response and troubleshooting work.
