On the morning of 23/11, Huynh Thi Lien stood before her dilapidated level-4 house after the flood. Three days prior, the water had risen to the roof, and she and her two children cried for help in vain, relying on neighbors to boat over and rescue them. She is among thousands isolated for days in Hoa Thinh commune, the most severely flooded area in Dak Lak. By last night, the commune reported 23 fatalities.

The flood swept away many of Lien's roof tiles and walls, leaving only some beams. Neighboring houses were also reduced to rubble.

A few hundred meters away, Nguyen Thi Thuy from My Dien hamlet surveyed her house with a gaping roof. Four nights ago, floodwaters rose rapidly, forcing her to rely on relatives and neighbors to move her 85-year-old father-in-law, Nguyen Ngoc Chau, onto the roof to await rescue.

Sitting in her muddy house with many damaged belongings, 75-year-old Phan Thi Hoa from My Dien hamlet recounted how she and her husband had to climb onto the roof to await rescue during the flood. "He had a stroke, and I am also ill, but we had to try and climb to safety. Now, there's nothing left of our home, and all our rice seeds are gone," she said.

Inside her damp and muddy house, 35-year-old Nguyen Thi Phuong from My Dien hamlet remained in shock after the historic flood. With her husband working far away, she was home with her two children and a seriously ill mother-in-law. When the water rose quickly, she and her two children climbed to the attic, while she carried her mother-in-law to a higher spot. The water continued to rise, almost reaching the roof, making it difficult to breathe, so she was forced to break through the roof to call for help. "Fortunately, neighbors came by boat and rescued our entire family; otherwise, we would have drowned in the floodwaters," Phuong said.

Belongings collected by Phuong after the flood, including muddy photos of relatives.

Next to My Dien hamlet, 65-year-old Nguyen Van Bo from My Trung hamlet this morning climbed to his attic, which was also his refuge during the flood days. At one point, the water nearly overflowed into the attic, forcing him to break through the roof to call for help.

Bo stands next to his house wall, which was destroyed by the flood, amidst scattered bricks, stones, and household items.

73-year-old Cao Thi Sang from My Trung hamlet lit incense for her 95-year-old mother, who recently passed away after the flood. On the evening of 19/11, the water rose rapidly. Sang, her mother, and her 65-year-old sister sought refuge, but the rain and wind were too severe. She carried her mother on her back, clinging to a window, awaiting rescue, while her sister struggled in the water. Near dawn, the water reached their noses. Sang broke through the roof tiles to call for help. Neighbors rowed over, dove in, pulled out her sister, and resuscitated her, but her mother slipped from her grasp, sank, and did not survive. "Just 5 more minutes, and my mother couldn't hold on," Sang said, her voice choked with emotion.

Along the roads around Hoa Thinh hamlet, carcasses of buffalo, cattle, chickens, ducks; commendation certificates, and school supplies lay scattered.

Today, Hoa Thinh residents continue to clean up and repair their roofs after the historic flood.

As of the morning of 23/11, floods in the South Central region have killed 90 people; with Dak Lak being the hardest hit with 63 cases, Khanh Hoa 14, Lam Dong 5, Gia Lai 3, Hue and Da Nang two each, and Quang Tri one. Currently, 12 people remain missing. The disaster damaged 1,154 homes and submerged over 185,700 houses.

Thanh Tung