Hundreds of households in Kim Tan commune, Thanh Hoa province, are submerged in floodwaters following a breach of the Buoi River dike. With water reaching neck level, many residents have taken their animals - chickens, dogs, pigs - onto rooftops for survival.

Nguyen Van Quan, born in 1962 and a resident of Dinh Tuong hamlet, shared that the former Thach Dinh commune (now part of Kim Tan) lies within the Buoi River’s dike protection zone. During the rainy season, the area frequently experiences localized flooding when river levels rise, but this time the water came too fast to react in time.

“From early morning on August 27, the water began spilling over the dike. By noon, it had surged rapidly. I had to assign tasks for flood response. My wife was responsible for moving livestock to a higher patch of land near the former Thach Dinh commune’s People’s Committee office, while I stayed behind to lift furniture,” Quan recounted.

According to him, the floodwaters rose so quickly that his family only managed to evacuate two cows and one buffalo. Pigs and dogs were temporarily moved to the second floor, while the chicken coop was inaccessible, forcing him to place the flock on top of the coop roof.

“The water is so high, it’s reached a meter inside our house. The chickens haven’t eaten all day. I had to wade out through neck-deep water just to feed them,” he added.

Nearby, Truong Thi Cuc’s family faced a similar ordeal. She said, “We’re used to flooding here - this is the heart of the floodplain - but this time it came too fast. I woke up to find water at the doorstep, and within minutes it was pouring into the house.”

When the flood came, Cuc only had time to evacuate her eight young grandchildren to the local school for shelter, leaving all belongings behind. Her husband remained at home to salvage what he could.

“We elderly residents have seen so many floods over the years, but the feeling is always the same - helplessness as the water drowns your possessions, your rice, your home. We accept the risks of living in a floodplain, but the losses still cut deep,” she shared.

According to locals, households with elderly and children were evacuated to safe shelters. Others stayed in place, retreating to second floors or rooftops. Livestock crammed together on rooftops - an image once startling but now all too familiar in Kim Tan.

Nguyen Thanh Hao, Chairman of the Kim Tan commune People’s Committee, reported that torrential rains caused by the remnants of Storm No. 5 triggered the flood. Starting early on August 27, heavy rain combined with upstream flow caused the Buoi River to overflow.

“As of now, more than 1,500 households are flooded, and over 5,000 people have been displaced. Within the old Thach Dinh commune area alone, nearly 700 households with over 2,800 residents are severely affected. Water depth ranges from 50 centimeters to as much as 2 meters,” said Hao.

He added that local authorities have fully activated the “four-on-the-spot” disaster response strategy to minimize damage and ensure safety. The provincial Disaster Prevention and Search & Rescue Command has deployed hundreds of officers and rescue vehicles to assist the flooded areas. Thousands of food packs, instant noodles, and drinking water supplies have been distributed to residents cut off by floodwaters.