Hoi An flooded again: People hurriedly ran away from the flood, curious tourists waded through the water to check-in

Heavy rains and hydroelectric dam discharges have caused the ancient town of Hoi An (Da Nang City) to be flooded again, marking the third time in 20 days. Since the afternoon of November 17, water has flooded many streets, forcing people to hastily evacuate their belongings to higher ground to avoid damage.

The impact of prolonged heavy rains and the release of floodwaters from hydroelectric plants caused the ancient town of Hoi An to begin flooding from the early morning of November 17. By this evening, floodwaters continued to rise, causing many central streets to be submerged.

According to VietNamNet reporters at 3:30 p.m. on November 17, many streets in the old quarter such as Bach Dang, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Nguyen Phuc Chu, Nguyen Hoang... were flooded, causing difficulties for residents and tourists to travel.

This is the third time Hoi An ancient town has been flooded since the end of October. By 5:30 p.m. on November 17, floodwaters had reached the foot of the Japanese Covered Bridge, but the ancient town still attracted many tourists to visit and take photos during the rising water.

This afternoon, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street connecting Chua Cau with Song Hoai Square was flooded more than 0.5m deep.

Mr. Hua Van Loc, owner of a souvenir shop on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, said that his family started packing at 1 p.m. today after receiving information that floodwaters could reach alert level 3.

He and two others quickly placed the goods on high shelves or moved them to the attic to avoid damage. During the recent historic flood, Mr. Loc's house was flooded more than 1.8 meters.

“During the flood on the evening of October 28, water flooded into the house more than 1.5 meters, knocking over a table with many belongings, so this time I have to be more careful,” Mr. Loc shared.

By 6pm tonight, floodwaters continued to rise despite the rain having stopped, leaving many areas in the Old Quarter still submerged.

In the area near the Hoai River, many households also proactively raised their houses and moved their belongings to safe locations when water began to flood the streets. Having to "run" through 3 floods within just 20 days has completely disrupted the lives of many Hoi An residents.

The owner of Bi 19 shop on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street arranged each shelf, full of shoes and sandals. “I put all the items on the highest floor, more than 2 meters high. The water level did not reach this shelf during the previous flood, but this time I took the initiative to put it higher,” she said.

The second floor of a house, which was originally only used for living, has now become a place to store all kinds of furniture to avoid floods.

Employees of a coffee shop near the Japanese Covered Bridge proactively moved their belongings, moving all tables, chairs and furniture to the second floor to avoid flooding.

Many businesses carefully pack their goods in plastic bags and bring them to high places outside the walking street to temporarily avoid flooding.

Hoi An residents brought cars and motorbikes to bridges in high areas to avoid floods.

Bach Dang Street, next to the Japanese Covered Bridge, was flooded 1 meter deep; residents and tourists could only travel by boat.

Currently, many shops in the area near Hoai River have closed.

Although the flood rose quickly, the old quarter still had many tourists walking around and taking pictures during the rising water.

Many people also enjoyed the experience of wading through floodwaters in the middle of the gradually flooded old streets.

Many tourists enjoy taking a boat trip to see Hoi An during flood season.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hoi-an-lai-ngap-sau-dan-hoi-ha-chay-lu-du-khach-to-mo-loi-nuoc-check-in-2463673.html