Heavy rain and floods in northern Vietnam submerge homes and disrupt economy

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Heavy rain caused flooding across parts of northern Vietnam on Thursday, disrupting travel, inundating homes and pushing several rivers above dangerous levels, authorities and state media said.

Rain has fallen across northern and north-central Vietnam this week, with some areas receiving more than 50 centimeters (19.7 inches), according to the disaster prevention department said.

More than 2,000 homes have been submerged, many key transportation routes blocked and more than 1,000 households isolated. Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces, which include lowland and hilly areas south of the capital Hanoi, have been among the hardest hit.

Vietnam is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries and prone to flooding. A series of severe storms last year spurred the country to find new ways to prepare for and manage floods.

In Thanh Hoa province, authorities told students to stay home because flooding had made travel to school dangerous, state media said.

Heavy rains and flooding have submerged or damaged about 10,014 hectares (24,745 acres) of rice and other crops, with the largest losses reported in Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces. Thousands of livestock and poultry also have been killed.

“The flood happens every year,” Ninh Binh resident Tran Ngoc Tai told national broadcaster VTV, adding that people were prepared with fresh water and food.

Many streets in Hanoi were deeply flooded Thursday morning, with water nearly a meter (3.2 feet) deep in some places, disrupting traffic and making it difficult for residents to get to work, take children to school or leave their homes.

Rainfall from Wednesday night to Thursday morning exceeded 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) in some areas, state media said.

Many high schools and universities in Hanoi remained closed or switched to online classes Thursday afternoon as heavy rain caused widespread flooding.

The rising waters of Bui River in the southwest outskirts of Hanoi threatened to flood homes, prompting authorities to deploy hundreds of soldiers to help residents move belongings to higher ground, state media said.

A cold air mass moving south is expected to bring five days of heavy rain to southern Vietnam including flood-prone Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s financial capital, starting Sept. 17, according to the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center.

Forecasters predict widespread rain through Sept. 21. Authorities have warned of flooding in low-lying areas and along waterways. Ho Chi Minh City is forecast to receive 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) of rain, with some areas getting more.

Vietnam experienced repeated severe flooding in 2025. Tropical Storm Wipha brought heavy rain and flooding in July, followed by more flooding and landslides in August when Tropical Storm Kajiki struck. Typhoon Bualoi killed at least 26 in September. In October, the historic cities of Hue and Hoi An in central Vietnam flooded, along with much of northern Vietnam.

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Local residents commute by boat through a flooded village on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026. (Pham Tuan Anh/VNA via AP)

Local residents commute by boat through a flooded village on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026. (Nhat Anh/VNA via AP)

Local residents commute by boat through a flooded village on the outskirts of Hanoi, Vietnam Thursday, Sep. 17, 2026. (Pham Tuan Anh/VNA via AP)

Vietnamese army troops prepare boats for rescue works in flooding areas in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (Tran Van Hoang/VNA via AP)

Jürgen Klopp said he wants to help spread national pride in Germany as he announced a super-sized first roster as national team coach with an appeal to “reclaim the flag.”

Klopp is aiming to reconnect German soccer fans with their team after yet another World Cup failure. With a roster of 44 players across two separate squads — 16 of them uncapped — for upcoming Nations League games, he's creating many more Germany internationals, too.

“I'd like to reclaim the flag for me, or for us, to be totally honest,” the former Liverpool manager said, wearing a cap in German black, red and gold with the slogan “One of 83 million,” referencing the country's population.

“I’d like it if, when you’re waving it, no one thinks there’s something wrong with you, but that they just feel you're happy and you understand you're lucky to be born in this wonderful country, to grow up here or to have moved here, that you live here. I'd like that a lot," he added. "I've had this thought in my head that I don't want to leave national pride to the wrong people.”

Klopp used the term “positive patriotism” and suggested Germans would benefit from a more optimistic outlook on soccer and life in general.

"Just look now and then what good things we actually have,” he said.

Klopp's comments come as Germany digests the far-right Alternative for Germany's victory in an election in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt this month.

Klopp's double roster turns the upcoming games against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia into an extended audition for places ahead of the next major tournament, the 2028 European Championship.

Stars like Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz will likely be limited to a maximum of two of the games as Klopp looks to fit in more new faces and reduce the workload on players.

It continues his unorthodox start to life in international soccer after he began by threatening to resign if he felt criticism was too overwhelming or the media was too intrusive.

Forward Karim Adeyemi returns for the first time in 11 months after a positive start at his new club Barcelona, while Ajax's Marc-André ter Stegen is first-choice goalkeeper after Manuel Neuer's international retirement.

Many of the players called up Thursday have never played for Germany's senior team. Some, like Elversberg midfielder Felix Keidel and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Younes Ebnoutalib, have only played a handful of top-division club games. Celtic's Mika Baur, Brentford's Vitaly Janelt and Cologne youngster Said El Mala are among more new faces.

The only squad limit in the league phase is that teams must submit a list of 23 before midnight ahead of each game, but they can switch out players between games.

Still, there is no place for striker Deniz Undav, who led Germany with three goals and two assists at the World Cup before a round-of-32 loss on penalties to Paraguay spelled the end of coach Julian Nagelsmann's tenure. Galatasaray winger Leroy Sané also misses out and won't add to his 80 caps for Germany.

Germany starts against the Netherlands on Sept. 24, before playing Greece three days later, Serbia on Oct. 1 and Greece again Oct. 4.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Head coach of the German national soccer team Juergen Klopp holds a press conference one week ahead of their first Nations League match, in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday Sept. 17. 2026. (Boris Roessler/dpa via AP)

Head coach of the German national soccer team Juergen Klopp speaks during a press conference one week ahead of their first Nations League match, in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday Sept. 17. 2026. (Boris Roessler/dpa via AP)

Head coach of the German national soccer team Juergen Klopp speaks during a press conference one week ahead of their first Nations League match, in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday Sept. 17. 2026. (Boris Roessler/dpa via AP)

Head coach of the German national soccer team Juergen Klopp looks on during a press conference one week ahead of their first Nations League match, in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday Sept. 17. 2026. (Boris Roessler/dpa via AP)