VietNamNet reporters visiting affected areas on the afternoon of Sept. 17 found thousands of households impacted across Ninh Binh province, including Gia Vien, Phu Son, Gia Tuong and Thanh Lam communes and Phu Van ward, as water levels rose in the Boi, Hoang Long and Day rivers.

In Gia Tuong commune, more than 800 households living outside the Hoang Long River dike in villages including Cao Thang and Lien Phuong were submerged under more than two meters of water and completely cut off. Many families moved livestock and poultry onto boats and carried belongings to second floors or other higher ground. In some single-story homes, floodwaters rose almost to the roofs.

Similarly, more than 600 households in the Kenh Ga island community in Gia Vien commune were completely isolated. Residents moved belongings to upper floors and took motorbikes to the Hoang Long River dike to keep them above the floodwaters.

Pham Van Thanh, 70, a resident of Gia Thuy village in Gia Tuong commune, said the river began rising rapidly on the morning of Sept. 16. He and his wife raised their belongings off the floor and moved their pigs onto a concrete boat. With their single-story home deeply flooded, the couple had to stay at their son's house.

Le Van Tinh, 75, who also lives in Gia Tuong commune, said residents in the area endure five to six floods every year. Sometimes the water recedes after only a few days, he said, while on other occasions it can take a month for the flooding to completely subside.

In Thanh Lam commune, local officials said the villages of Tri Xuyen, Nam Cong and Bong Lang had been cut off by rising water since the morning of Sept. 17, with Bong Lang experiencing the deepest flooding. The commune had yet to determine the exact number of affected households. Teams were being sent directly into flooded areas to assess conditions and record damage.

In Phu Van ward, a preliminary count showed that about 700 households had been affected by the latest flooding. Water inundated numerous roads and residential areas, severely disrupting travel and daily life.

In Quy Nhat commune, rising river levels flooded some low-lying areas to depths of 60-70 centimeters, making travel difficult and disrupting residents' daily lives.

In aquaculture areas, residents put up nets and reinforced pond embankments in an effort to minimize losses. Despite those precautions, large areas remained severely affected as river levels continued to rise.

According to a report from the Ninh Binh provincial Civil Defense Command, more than 3,000 households living outside river dikes across the province had been flooded. Heavy rain was continuing in the area, while water flowing down the Boi River was pushing levels in the Hoang Long and Day rivers even higher.