"I stayed awake all night, almost despairing, not knowing if my family was alive or dead," said Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huan, 31, a resident of Song Hinh commune, recounting the horrifying night of 20/11 when floods submerged everything in Hoa Thinh.

Hoa Thinh commune, spanning 159 square kilometers with a population of nearly 30,000, is considered a flood epicenter in Dak Lak (formerly Phu Yen), along with Dong Hoa ward. It lies downstream of the Ba River, the largest river in the South Central Coast region, which features several hydropower dams. The low-lying terrain and poor drainage make the area prone to deep flooding when heavy rains occur upstream. During the recent flood, water levels rose rapidly within hours, submerging many areas by 4-5 meters, with houses nearly covered up to their roofs.

"Houses in the low-lying areas were quickly inundated, leaving no time to react. The water came partly from the hydropower dam's discharge, partly from the rising water in the lagoons, and partly from the heavy rainfall," Ms. Huan explained.

On 19/11, she received news that the Song Ba Ha hydropower reservoir was discharging a record amount of water. Simultaneously, sirens warning residents to evacuate blared continuously. She tried to call her parents but could not reach them, and attempts to ask neighbors for help were also unsuccessful.

A damaged house in Hoa Thinh commune, with water still high, on the afternoon of 22/11. *Photo: Dinh Van*

The following evening, through an acquaintance in the village, she learned that the water had risen to roof level, forcing her parents and grandparents to climb onto the roof to escape the flood. The surroundings were dark, rain poured, and only the elderly and children remained in the village. It was coffee season, so most young, able-bodied adults had gone to Lam Dong for work. Upon hearing the news, they rushed back but were stranded by landslides. Ms. Huan's younger brother drove from Ho Chi Minh City that night but was stopped on the national highway. She and her married sister, living nearby, were also helpless as floodwaters cut them off.

"I didn't know what to do but call for help everywhere. I shared it on social media, but no one came in the end," Ms. Huan said, adding that for nearly two days, her parents and grandparents had almost no food, water, or dry clothes.

Meanwhile, Vo Ngoc Thien experienced firsthand the "horrifying days in the flood epicenter." Having grown up in Xom Dong hamlet, Vinh Ba village, Hoa Thinh commune, the 37-year-old man was familiar with living with floods and had made preparations. However, he could not anticipate the dangers of the recent historic flood.

According to Mr. Thien, water began to rise to knee-level at 17:00 on 20/11, but within two hours, it reached waist-level. All efforts to elevate belongings became futile as the water inside the house rose to neck-level. All electronic appliances, including televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, and motorbikes, were submerged. Late that night, with water reaching head-level and threatening lives, Mr. Thien, along with his parents and young child, had to climb onto the rafters (wooden beams supporting the roof) to escape the flood.

Map of Hoa Thinh commune and Dong Hoa ward, the two most deeply flooded areas in Dak Lak (formerly Phu Yen). *Graphic: Hoang Khanh*

In an attempt to find help, Mr. Thien removed roof tiles and used a flashlight to signal for rescue, calling emergency numbers found online, but he could not connect with anyone.

"At that point, I just accepted my fate," he said, adding that the four people huddled on the rafters all night, simply "praying." It was only the next morning, when the water began to recede, that Mr. Thien could breathe a sigh of relief.

Mr. Thien noted that before the flood hit, local residents had been warned by authorities and had proactively elevated their belongings. However, they did not evacuate because for many years, floods typically only reached the edge of their beds, posing no life-threatening danger. This time, the water rose rapidly and was twice as high as the historic flood of 1993 in his area, leaving many families caught off guard.

This morning, several relief teams attempted to reach the Hoa Thinh flood epicenter. Venerable Thich Quang Dao, abbot of Phuoc Luc Tu pagoda in Hoa Thinh commune, stated that the pagoda had been surrounded by floods for over 5 days. Initially, the water rose slowly, but three days ago, "the floodwaters rushed in," submerging the pagoda, which is located on a high mound, by more than 2 meters.

The pagoda complex includes a tall building, where about 50 surrounding residents and pagoda members evacuated for shelter. Residents deeper inside the flooded area had their houses completely submerged. "Throughout the flood days, phone service was unavailable in this area due to lack of signal and power," the Venerable said.

Currently, the floodwaters are gradually receding, and the pagoda is actively collecting essential supplies to deliver to isolated residents.

An area in Hoa Thinh commune remains submerged, on the afternoon of 22/11. *Photo: Dinh Van*

This morning, some rescue groups attempted to penetrate deeper into Hoa Thinh commune, trying to reach villages isolated for days. However, the water levels remain high, making vehicle movement difficult and requiring canoes or high-clearance pickup trucks.

Reporting to Dak Lak provincial leaders last night, the Hoa Thinh commune chairman stated that Phu Phong village had about 1,000 people stranded for days. On the evening of 20/11, large rescue boats finally reached the area, with evacuations beginning on the morning of 21/11. By yesterday afternoon, the commune recorded three deaths; many multi-story houses still housed 30-40 people clinging on, with food and water supplies depleted. Phu Phong, Phu My, and other villages still had thousands of households isolated.

According to the latest statistics, floods in Dak Lak caused 27 deaths and 8 missing people. Nationwide, the natural disaster resulted in 55 fatalities; 946 homes were damaged; and about 28,500 homes were submerged.

Le Tuyet - Truong Ha