This year’s combination of high water and prolonged downpours has turned the normally predictable flood season into one marked by isolation, damage, and heavy agricultural losses.
In Lang Sen Hamlet, Tay Ninh Province, about 200 houses and several roads remain submerged. On stormy nights, families stay awake to move furniture and reinforce makeshift barriers.
Hydrological agencies reported that this year’s floodwaters are only 0.5 to 1 metre lower than the historic floods of 2000 and 2011, and may peak above 2.8 metres.
Boats have become the only means of transport for many villagers. “On October 22, water rushed into the house so fast I could only lift a few things. The kitchen and washing machine were ruined,” said Truong Cong Thuc, a local resident.
Nguyen My Dung’s house has been flooded for days. Her family has raised furniture on bricks and carries out daily tasks on boats. Her daughter sleeps in a hammock strung above the waterline.
Another villager, Truong Thi Sao, recalled narrowly escaping electrocution when floodwater reached underground cables. “In just two weeks, two people in our hamlet have died from electric shocks,” she said.
Farmer Pham Thi Thien said her husband has been guarding their two-hectare rice field day and night to protect the crop. “If the water rises further with more rain, we won’t be able to cope,” she said. Her 16-year-old daughter, who has brittle bone disease, has also been forced to stay amid floodwater.
The annual flood season, once marked by laughter and the sight of locals casting nets for fish, has turned into sleepless nights spent bailing out water and protecting homes. Many now try to earn a small income by drying water hyacinths during short sunny intervals.
Authorities have warned that river levels will remain high in the coming days, with risks of flooding, erosion, and dike breaches along the Vam Co Dong and Vam Co Tay rivers.