From the evening of December 4 to early morning December 5, floodwaters surged across many parts of former Phan Thiet City (now under Lam Dong province), submerging entire neighborhoods. Local authorities and emergency teams worked through the night to evacuate residents to safety.

In Phu Thuy ward, flood levels rose swiftly, inundating numerous homes and streets. Police and rescue teams moved door-to-door in canoes, urging people to leave flooded zones and guiding them to higher ground.

Despite a brief pause in the rainfall, the water levels dropped only slightly. Police, soldiers, and local security forces remained stationed throughout the night to monitor the situation.

Nguyen Thi Lan, a resident of Thanh Hai A neighborhood in Phu Thuy ward, waded through knee-deep water with personal belongings in hand.

"The flood rose so fast. I had no choice but to leave for somewhere safer," she said. "I’ve lived here nearly 70 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this."

Authorities at Mui Ne Border Guard Station said that upon receiving reports that floodwaters had begun isolating households in Phu Thuy, they immediately dispatched a rapid-response team with canoes to assist in evacuation efforts. Hundreds of households were safely removed from high-risk areas.

Beyond official rescue teams, local volunteer groups also joined the relief effort, bringing their own canoes to help residents evacuate from deeply submerged neighborhoods.

In Tan Hai commune, the downstream area of the Phan River, water levels rose dramatically due to high tides and reservoir releases along the Dinh River. Several villages, including Ba Dang and Hiep Tri, were completely flooded.

At Phuoc Loc Border Guard Station, teams were mobilized overnight to help relocate residents and their belongings to safe areas, coordinating efforts with local authorities to minimize property and human losses.

Meanwhile, in Ham Thang ward, floodwaters rose rapidly, cutting off many areas. Some residents had to climb onto rooftops to await rescue as currents became dangerously strong. National Highway 1 in the area was rendered impassable.

Earlier on December 4, local authorities had already evacuated around 1,500 households from flood-prone neighborhoods such as Kim Binh, Kim Ngoc, Ung Chiem, Thang Hoa, Phu Thinh, Phu Xuan, and Phu My.

Ham Thang ward chairman Tran Ngoc Hien confirmed the severity of the situation, saying: “Flooding here remains extensive. Even though the water has started to recede, many areas are still isolated.”

He described the event as the most widespread and severe flood the ward has ever experienced.

By the morning of December 5, some sections of National Highway 1 through Ham Thang remained underwater, with traffic still paralyzed.

In Lam Dong province, fast-rising water from December 4 inundated large parts of the former Binh Thuan region. Affected areas included Ham Liem, Song Luy, Luong Son, Ham Thuan Bac, Hong Son, Lien Huong, Ham Thuan, Ham Thang, Hong Thai, Bac Binh, and Hiep Thanh.

According to a rapid damage assessment by the Lam Dong People’s Committee, as of 6 p.m. on December 4, one person had died, nearly 3,300 homes were flooded, over 3,300 hectares of crops were damaged, and numerous roads had been eroded or collapsed. A total of 860 households had been evacuated. Initial damages are estimated at 88 billion VND (approximately 3.6 million USD).

On the same day, Vice Chairman of the Lam Dong People's Committee, Le Trong Yen, signed an urgent directive activating emergency response plans for natural disasters.