Responding to Rising Tides and Rapidly Elevating Upstream Floods

According to the Dong Thap Provincial Meteorological and Hydrological Station, due to the combined effects of the high tide on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month and upstream flooding, water levels in the southern districts of Dong Thap province have risen rapidly.

The highest tide levels are forecast for September 20-21, 2024, occurring between 5:00 AM and 8:00 AM and between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM daily. The high tide situation, at alarm level III, combined with heavy local rainfall in the coming days in the southern districts, will endanger dike-protected areas with fruit trees, causing flooding in areas without dikes, areas with low dikes, and urban areas.

Regarding the prediction of the peak flood in 2024, a tropical depression is currently active in the central South China Sea and has the potential to strengthen into typhoon number 4 and make landfall in the central region. This typhoon is likely to cause a period of heavy rain and flooding in the middle reaches of the Mekong River.

The peak flood level in 2024 is predicted to be about 0.1 to 0.4m higher than in 2023 (upstream areas will be about 0.4m higher; in the Thap Muoi inland area about 0.3m higher; and in the southern area about 0.1m higher).

In response to this situation, the Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Thap province directed the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to urgently update disaster warning information (rain, floods, landslides, etc.) on the agricultural digital transformation platform, serving both management purposes and providing access to disaster information for organizations and individuals. At the same time, they urged increased efforts to encourage people to release floodwaters from agricultural production embankments, contributing to the replenishment of silt in the soil.