Floodwaters made their way into Phu Son Hamlet, Ham My Commune, Ham Thuan Nam District, submerging the locale early Wednesday. The rapid rise in water levels within 3-4 hours led to the inundation of numerous dragon fruit fields and over 100 residences. Binh Thuan, hosting the country's largest dragon fruit cultivation area with 28,000 hectares, saw significant flooding, especially in Ham Thuan Nam District which constitutes nearly half of this farming area.
As water levels increased to between 0.5 to 1 meter, numerous homes were cut off. One family found themselves surrounded by floodwaters by Wednesday noon. Ho Van Trung, a 64-year-old resident, reported substantial losses, including over 200 dragon fruit pillars and a vegetable patch, all of which were submerged and beyond salvage.
Local farmers, familiar with the drought-resistant nature of dragon fruit, highlighted the plant's vulnerability to flooding, which can quickly damage its roots and branches. The flooding was attributed by residents to the recent construction of Provincial Road 719B, criticizing its inadequate drainage system for the disaster. Le Van Phuoc, 70, emphasized the community's prior concerns regarding the road's design and its implications for future flooding.
In response to the flooding, community efforts included removing drainage covers to expedite water flow and deploying local authorities to assist affected residents. Educational institutions like Ham My 2 Primary School also suffered, with the surrounding area experiencing severe flooding.
Source: Vietnam Express (With various photos of the floods)