Heavy rain caused floodwaters from the upper reaches of the Ma River to surge downstream, carrying large quantities of timber and rubbish onto beaches in Sam Son Ward, Thanh Hoa Province.
By the morning of September 18, the rain had stopped, but debris and waste stretched along the city's beaches.
Driftwood and rubbish cover a beach in Sam Son Ward, Thanh Hoa Province, after flooding (Photo: Thanh Tung).
Large tree stumps swept along by floodwaters (Photo: Thanh Tung).
Large tree trunks and roots were also swept ashore by the floodwaters. Many local residents took advantage of the morning to collect pieces of wood from the beaches.
A representative of the Sam Son People's Committee said the ward was working with an environmental services company and the beach management unit to clear the debris and restore sanitation along the coastline.
"We will focus on clearing the timber and rubbish from the beaches today. The volume of debris is very large," the official said.
Residents of Sam Son Ward head to the beach to collect driftwood (Photo: Thanh Tung).
Beaches at the Hai Tien tourist area, covering Hoang Tien and Hoang Thanh communes, have also been inundated with rubbish and timber.
During the 2025 rainy and flood season, Hai Tien was also severely affected, with several kilometres of sea embankments suffering erosion as large quantities of timber were swept onto the beaches.
From September 13 to 17, heavy rain affected many parts of Thanh Hoa Province, with rainfall commonly reaching 300-500mm.
Rising river levels combined with heavy rain flooded more than 8,400 households across the province. The worst-affected areas included Ham Rong Ward and Nong Cong, Kim Tan and Thanh Vinh communes.
Flooding also caused localised isolation and blocked access to residential areas for more than 2,600 households, affecting over 10,000 residents across 18 communes and wards.
In response, authorities evacuated more than 1,000 households, comprising nearly 3,900 residents, to designated shelters and other safe, reinforced buildings.
