School pickup arrives, the rain eases, but messages about flooded streets continue. One adult wants to leave immediately; another wants to wait. The child is still at school. This is when a shared decision matters. In Can Tho, looking at the sky is not enough: local authorities have documented urban flooding when heavy rain combines with high tides. A good plan protects both the child's waiting place and the adult's approach.
The short version
- 01
The end of rain does not prove a road is passable.
- 02
Keep the child in a safe place with a confirmed caregiver while pickup changes.
- 03
After flooding, protect drinking water, food and toys from contamination.
Jump to the part you need
Ask about the route, not only the rain
Can Tho police describe localized flooding when prolonged heavy rain meets high tides. That explains why an easing shower may leave a homeward route disrupted. An old notice cannot tell you when today's water will recede. Check current local, school or destination instructions and prefer information with a clear location and time over broad reassurance that an area is usually fine.
Ask separately about arrival and departure access. A place can remain open while its pickup area is flooded, and an easy morning approach may be blocked later. When several sections are uncertain, reduce the trip to essentials. The goal is not the shortest line in a navigation app but a decision supported by current information, including the decision not to leave yet.
Call the school before starting the engine
Confirm where the child is, which adult is responsible and whether that location remains safe for a longer wait. Explain that the normal route is unavailable, then agree how to communicate and identify the collecting adult. Use school or childcare procedures if the person changes. Telling one family member does not mean everyone responsible for the child has received the same information.
If the setting says children must relocate, ask for the destination, accompanying adult and handover method. Do not assume a school can always keep children indefinitely or pressure teachers to cross floodwater to a waiting car. Let one family member coordinate information rather than running three competing pickup plans. After collection, confirm who has the child and where they are going next.
Do not choose transport by its willingness to enter water
WHO and CDC advise against walking or driving into flooded areas. Apparently shallow water can conceal hazards for children, and vehicles can stall or be swept away. A large vehicle, an experienced driver or somebody else's successful crossing does not remove the risk. Do not shoulder-carry a child to test the route, step into traffic to probe hidden holes or bypass barriers.
Stop somewhere that does not obstruct traffic and contact the child's caregiver again. Follow on-site traffic control rather than insisting that a navigation app restore the original route. If the child has emergency symptoms, call 115 and describe both the medical condition and access obstacles. No general transport trick replaces emergency coordination when an area is cut off.
A safe wait still needs preparation
Keep an accessible bag with protected documents, prescribed medicines already used, spare clothes, hygiene items and age-appropriate food and drinks. If the child regularly stays elsewhere, discuss which supplies may be stored there. The aim is support for an unexpectedly long wait, not luggage that makes movement harder. A paper contact list helps when a phone battery runs down.
If the family is in a safe place, the usual mealtime alone is not a reason to leave; arrange a simple meal and stay in contact. Conversely, do not remain in a place under evacuation instructions because a bag is unfinished. Follow local movement guidance and take immediately available essentials. A useful plan distinguishes safe waiting from hesitation in a location that is becoming dangerous.
Keep floodwater away from meals and children's belongings
WHO emphasizes safe water for drinking and food preparation and discarding food touched by floodwater. Do not use apparently clear water from a flooded setting to make feeds or clean bottles. Sealed drinking water or a supply confirmed safe by local guidance removes one uncertainty. Follow any specific water advisory; do not assume boiling solves every kind of contamination.
Separate soaked toys, shoes and clothing from the child's eating and sleeping areas. CDC advises keeping contaminated toys away until properly cleaned and disinfected. Wash hands with soap and clean water before meals and after handling dirty items. Keep children away from cleanup: wanting to help does not make contaminated water, sharp debris or wet electrical equipment a suitable play space.
Afterwards: check exposures, then improve the plan
After floodwater contact, wash the skin, change clothes and inspect feet and cuts. Deep or dirty wounds, increasing redness or pain, or fever warrant medical advice with the exposure explained; clinicians can assess wound care and tetanus protection. Do not start preventive antibiotics simply because the child encountered water. Breathing difficulty, altered alertness or rapid deterioration requires emergency care.
Once everyone has rested, record what actually helped: the reachable contact, usable waiting place and missing supply. Do not promote one detour into a permanently safe route; the next event may differ. Preserve the questions and handover method that worked. In a city where water can change travel, clear coordination is more reliable than the memory of one successful crossing.
Practical checklist
- Confirm the child, caregiver and next contact arrangement.
- Do not enter floodwater or bypass barriers.
- Separate flood-contaminated belongings from food and clean items.
How NIMO built this guide
NIMO writes and localizes each guide for Vietnamese families, then checks key facts against the official references below. The links support the guide; they are not the guide itself.
Sources checked by NIMOFor symptoms or treatment decisions, confirm with an appropriate health professional.Next review · Dec 5, 2026
