Dak Lak: Many residential areas remain isolated and difficult to access.

As of today (November 25th), floodwaters have receded significantly, and most areas have been "freed" from the devastating floods. However, some neighborhoods and residential areas in Hoa Xuan commune, in the eastern part of Dak Lak province, are still surrounded by floodwaters, requiring authorities and charitable organizations to use canoes to reach them.

Báo Tin Tức•25/11/2025

Photo caption — Residents of Hiep Dong village, Hoa Xuan commune, mainly travel by small boats to receive food supplies. Photo: Pham Kha/TTXVN, Central and Central Highlands region.

Hiep Dong village in Hoa Xuan commune is one of the few remaining villages still cut off by the flood. Next to it is Lang Go hamlet in Thach Tuan 2 village, also in the same commune, which is completely isolated.

To reach Hiep Dong village, we tried every option, but ultimately had to choose to go to Thach Tuan 2 village, using the aluminum boats that the villagers still use for duck farming and escaping floods. In the lowest-lying area of the Ban Thach River downstream, every household has a boat, which has become an indispensable item during the flood season.

It was the same for every household. Mr. Le Van Thien, from Hiep Dong village, paddled his boat to the village headquarters to receive relief supplies, still in shock: "In my 75 years of life, 1981 was a historic flood, and 1993 was another historic flood. But this flood is even bigger, it's the most historic flood in history."

Like all the other households here, Mr. Thien also has a small boat for self-defense, used for transportation during floods. Hiep Dong area, Lang Go hamlet (Thach Tuan 2 village) is the lowest of the low-lying areas. Located beside the Ban Thach River, which has a very dangerous current, the people of Hiep Dong and Lang Go have three main occupations: rice farming, cattle raising, and duck breeding. Therefore, the small boat is an indispensable item for each household. "Every flood season, people here use their small boats to move to higher ground to stay temporarily, waiting for the floodwaters to recede before returning."

In front of Hiep Dong village, there is a small hamlet belonging to Thach Tuan 2 village, which is also cut off by floodwaters. Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, a resident of the hamlet, pointed to a bush where a broken boat lay and said: "I also had one, but the flood destroyed it. Luckily, I survived. Now, there's nothing left of my chickens, ducks, cows, or pigs!"

Next to Mr. Tan's house, Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan was shoveling mud in his completely ruined home. He said, "Thanks to kindhearted people who came to provide drinking water, food, and instant noodles." Mr. Tran Dinh Tuong, a resident of Hiep Dong village, took me around the village in his boat, past high sandbanks that had just emerged from the water, interspersed with still-fast-flowing currents. He recounted, "When the flood came, people had already prepared their boats in front of their houses. They just had time to jump in and were carried along by the rising water. They sat in the boats, battling the flood, while their houses disappeared, surrounded by floodwaters on all sides."

The mounds on which the locals build their houses are far apart. Mr. Tuong explained that these weren't natural mounds, but rather mounds that the people here had gradually built up over hundreds of years. Then, on top of these mounds, they built even higher foundations for their houses. But then, the floods still came, sweeping away all the hard work of the people here.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/dak-lak-nhieu-khu-dan-cu-van-con-bi-co-lap-kho-tiep-can-20251125211746584.htm