Phan Thiet city in Binh Thuan province faced severe overnight flooding on 4 December, as a hydropower dam discharge coincided with high tide, causing widespread inundation. Starting at 7 p.m., water levels rapidly rose in residential areas along Phu Long roads, National Highway 1 near Ben Loi bridge, and the Phu Hai riverbanks. Despite residents piling sandbags more than half a meter high at their doors, the water quickly overflowed, leading to panic and calls for help.

Loc's house was flooded half a meter deep in the living room at 9 p.m. on 4 December. *Bich Loc*

By 9 p.m., homes were deeply submerged. Bich Loc, 35, reported that water from the street flowed into her yard, reaching half a meter deep in her living room by 10 p.m. Many belongings and furniture, despite being elevated, were submerged. Loc, along with her 60-year-old parents and two children aged 3-6, had to move upstairs for shelter. Concerned about the water continuing to rise, she called for assistance, stating, "My house is isolated, the water is rising, power is out, and we've lost contact; I don't know what will happen."

About 2 kilometers away, Pham Thi Chac's family, living near An Lac Pagoda in Ham Thang commune, Binh Thuan province, had to evacuate to a neighbor's two-story apartment. Her single-story house was flooded up to 1.5 meters deep, with water rapidly pouring inside from late afternoon. Chac, along with nearly ten relatives, including young children and elderly individuals, left behind all their possessions, only managing to take instant noodles, raincoats, blankets, and milk. "There was no time to save our belongings; we just had to run," she recounted. They waded through the water to a nearby two-story house, where over 20 people, mostly neighbors, were already sheltering. Each person carried only a few essential items, abandoning their homes amidst the rushing currents.

Residents using boats to escape flooded areas. *Phuoc Tuan*

Given the rapid rise of water, which caused deep flooding and isolated many residential areas overnight, numerous teams and individuals quickly formed Zalo groups and posted information on social media to provide assistance. Residents seeking help left details including: the number of people needing support (prioritizing the elderly and children), phone numbers, addresses of isolated homes, and GPS locations for the groups to reach them. By 11 p.m., the tramcuutro website had received nearly 6,000 requests for assistance from deeply flooded areas along the Phu Hai river.

Many groups drove canoes to areas flooded up to two meters deep to rescue people stranded on rooftops. Some residents from nearby areas also used basket boats to enter deeply flooded locations to assist neighbors. Meanwhile, police and military forces deployed canoes and jet skis to critical areas for relief efforts.

Reporting team