On October 8th, the Infrastructure Maintenance Board of the Hanoi Department of Construction issued a directive demanding corrective actions from multiple road management and maintenance units due to their delayed response to Typhoon Matmo (Typhoon No. 11).
Several entities were explicitly named, including: Highway Management and Construction Joint Stock Company No. 1 Ha Tay; Hanoi Road Management and Construction Investment Joint Stock Company; Ha Thanh Construction Investment Consulting Joint Stock Company; Hai Duong Waterway Management Joint Stock Company; and various specialized departments within the agencies.
According to the Infrastructure Maintenance Board, contractors were slow to access affected sites. Some roads lacked warning signs entirely, while others had signs that failed to provide critical flood-related information, endangering commuters.
Numerous Hanoi streets submerged after heavy rainfall.
Submitted reports from the units failed to meet the 7:30 AM deadline, with unclear supporting images that could lead to misinterpretation in media coverage.
Critically, delayed information sharing with VOV Traffic Radio diminished community alert effectiveness.
Previously, on October 6th, the Maintenance Board had instructed units to prepare typhoon response plans. However, by October 7th morning, heavy post-typhoon rains caused severe flooding across Hanoi, significantly disrupting travel.
To address these issues, the Department of Construction mandated 24/7 staffing, deployment of barriers, flood signs, rotating lights, flags, whistles, and traffic cones at all flood zones exceeding 10 cm. Absence of personnel or signage at sites will not be tolerated.
Specialized departments must conduct twice-daily field inspections (before 7:30 AM and 3:00 PM), reporting flood conditions, traffic diversions, and mitigation measures to both the Maintenance Board and official media channels.
The Maintenance Board emphasized these measures are mandatory to overcome reactive disaster response, ensure traffic safety, and protect Hanoi residents amid unpredictable weather. Non-compliant units will face disciplinary action.
Sun Breaks Through, Yet Hanoi’s Deep Flooding Persists
On the morning of October 8th, Hanoi experienced a respite from the rain, with occasional glimpses of sunshine. However, by midday, numerous areas across the city remained severely flooded, significantly disrupting the daily lives of residents.
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Unveiling a transformative drainage project for Hanoi’s prestigious Ciputra urban area, spanning 737 meters along the Red River dyke, with a total investment of 178 billion VND. This initiative aims to eradicate the notorious flooding hotspot near the Nhat Tan bridgehead, promising a drier and more resilient future for the community.
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Strategies to Mitigate Hanoi’s Chronic Flooding During Rainfall
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