More than 8,300 hectares of rice were affected by high tides.

High tides combined with heavy rains lasting from mid-October have caused many areas in Ca Mau to be deeply flooded and have landslides, affecting thousands of hectares of rice and people's lives.

Since mid-October, Ca Mau has been continuously hit by peak tides combined with prolonged heavy rains, causing deep flooding in many residential areas, seriously affecting agricultural and aquatic production and people's lives. The total initial damage is estimated at nearly 3 billion VND, many localities are making efforts to overcome the complicated weather conditions.

National Highway 1A from Hoa Binh commune to Gia Rai ward is flooded in some places. Photo: Trong Linh.

More than 226 km of roads were flooded, hundreds of houses were flooded

According to the Office of the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control of Ca Mau province, as of 4 p.m. on November 15, the entire province of Ca Mau recorded more than 226 km of flooded roads. Many main roads in communes and wards such as An Xuyen, Tan Thanh Tran Van Thoi, Cai Nuoc, Dam Doi... were submerged in water from 20-50 cm, making it difficult for people to travel.

Some localities recorded subsidence and landslides. Phan Ngoc Hien, Dam Doi, Dinh Thanh communes had many landslides that ate into the road surface; Ong Ut Tai bridge slope collapsed heavily. In total, there were 3 major landslides with a length of 61 m.

In Ninh Quoi, Cai Nuoc, Tan Thanh communes, etc., water flooded deep into residential areas, causing 762 houses to be flooded; schools, markets and a series of small alleys were flooded for a long time. In some areas, storms also blew off the roofs of 7 houses, while in Vinh Thanh commune alone, 6 houses were completely damaged and received support from the government.

More than 8,300 hectares of rice were affected.

This year's high tide and heavy rains occurred at the peak of winter-spring sowing and autumn-winter rice care, causing heavy damage. The total flooded rice area in the province reached 8,336 hectares, of which many areas suffered 100% damage. Many communes suffered heavy damage, such as: Khanh Lam with more than 265 hectares, estimated at 1.35 billion VND; Phuoc Long with nearly 25 hectares of 30-day-old rice completely damaged; Vinh Loi with more than 110 hectares of rice, crops and fruit trees affected; Hoa Binh with nearly 21 hectares damaged. Vinh Phuoc and Vinh My communes also recorded high water levels in their fields, threatening more than 3,000 hectares of autumn-winter rice.

Meanwhile, shrimp-rice farming areas and low-lying areas along the river continue to face rising water pressure. In Tan An commune, in just three days (November 7-10), 8 households had their embankments broken and concrete roads collapsed, with total damage of more than 220 million VND.

In Quach Pham commune, more than 20 households lost shrimp and crab seedlings due to the broken square dike. In Cai Doi Vam commune, many households lost tens of millions of dong because shrimp and crabs were swept away when the dike broke.

Thanks to participating in the cooperative, households proactively pump water when the tide rises. Photo: Trong Linh.

Local authorities brace themselves to cope

Faced with prolonged flooding, communes and wards have activated response forces according to the "4 on-site" motto, pumping stations and regulating sluices are operated continuously.

In Ninh Quoi commune, one of the most heavily flooded areas, the commune leaders said they had mobilized more than 100 militia and youth union members to help people raise their properties, pump out water, and place warning signs on roads flooded 40 cm deep. "The water level on the canals continues to rise abnormally, we have to be on duty 24/7 to monitor and provide timely support," an officer from the Ninh Quoi Commune Economic Department informed.

In rice-producing areas, many people pump water day and night. In Phuoc Long commune, an agricultural official said: "The rice has been flooded for many days. Although people pumped continuously, it was not enough, leading to total damage. Other areas are still being saved."

Many localities such as Dinh Thanh, Cai Nuoc, Hoa Binh... organized the reinforcement of temporary embankments, handled water jams, and cleared ditches to limit prolonged flooding.

Winter-spring rice crop in Chau Thoi commune, Ca Mau province. Photo: Trong Linh.

Mr. Truong Van Phuong, Deputy Head of the Irrigation Department of Ca Mau province, said: "The total initial damage in the whole province is estimated at nearly 3 billion VND, the number is expected to increase as localities continue to review. Some communes have asked the province to consider providing early support for farmers to restore production, especially in heavily damaged areas such as Khanh Lam, Phuoc Long, Tan An, Ninh Quoi.

In addition, many interwoven and black dirt roads that are severely damaged, have landslides or are flooded for a long time need to be prioritized for capital repair and upgrading to ensure traffic during the rainy and stormy season.

It is forecasted that in the coming days, the Southern region will continue to experience heavy rains and high tides may remain at high levels. The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control of Ca Mau province requires localities to maintain 24/7 duty, check the dyke system, culverts, pumping stations, and provide early warnings to people in low-lying areas.

The work of protecting winter-spring crop production and aquaculture continues to be prioritized. Localities are required to actively drain water, reinforce dykes, and review damage to propose timely support.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/hon-8300-ha-lua-bi-anh-huong-do-trieu-cuong-d784573.html