On the afternoon of Oct. 11 high tides in Ho Chi Minh City peaked: Thanh Niên wrote that many streets were deeply flooded and water spilled into homes, Dân trí reported residents stopping sales, raising belongings out of the flood and wading through water in daily life, and VnExpress reported shops sitting empty and daily life upended. Thanh Niên (2:39 p.m.) said the Saigon River’s water level had passed the historical level and kept rising. The forecast from the previous issue said the peak would last into Oct. 12, with water levels possibly exceeding alert level 3 by about 10 to 15 cm. The final peak figure and total damage have not been given by the outlets.
Tidal flooding disrupts travel and trade and may damage property; this episode fell on the weekend, so the effect on commuting will be clearest on Monday morning.
If you commute through low-lying areas, check conditions on each route, avoid parking on low stretches and prepare a detour. Shop owners should raise goods off the floor; avoid driving through deep stretches of water of unknown depth.
High tides recur with the seasons, and residents are used to coping by raising belongings and closing shop; what is needed is early and accurate warning.
A water level above the historical mark suggests tidal flooding is getting worse; drainage infrastructure and urban planning need a fresh look instead of just seasonal coping.
The figure to watch today is the measured water level against alert level 3 and when the water recedes; there is no cross-checked reading yet, so we are not calling this a record.
Thanh Niên, Dân trí, VnExpress (Oct. 11, 2026)
High tides peak on the afternoon of Oct. 11: many Ho Chi Minh City streets deeply flooded, water spills into homes, shops close
Thanh Niên reports the Saigon River’s water level passed the previous historical level; the tide peak is forecast to last into today, Oct. 12.
On the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 11, high tides in Ho Chi Minh City reached their peak. According to Thanh Niên, Dân trí and VnExpress, many streets were deeply flooded, water spilled into homes, and many shops closed or stood empty even though it was the weekend. Thanh Niên reported at 2:39 p.m. that the water level on the Saigon River had passed the previous historical level and was still rising; the outlets have not given a final figure for the peak in the reports we cross-checked. Dân trí reported residents raising their belongings, wading to get around and sitting down to dinner in the water.
In yesterday’s issue, the outlets forecast the peak between Oct. 11 and 12, with water levels possibly exceeding alert level 3 by about 10 to 15 cm, while widespread heavy rain in the South tends to ease. High tides are a periodic rise in water that follows the cycle of the tides; when they coincide with heavy rain or releases from upstream, flooding is worse and drains more slowly. The press has not published total damage, and there are no official figures on the number of flooded households or affected streets. This morning, commuters should check conditions on each route before setting out.