Living on a boat, sleeping on the roof of a house in the "flood center" of Hoang Long river

Cảnh sống trên thuyền, ngủ mái nhà ở rốn lũ sông Hoàng Long - 1

On September 13, according to a quick report from Nho Quan and Gia Vien districts (Ninh Binh), thousands of people are flooded in the area. The largest number of houses flooded is in the area along the Hoang Long River. In Nho Quan, there are communes such as Lac Van, Duc Long, Gia Thuy, Gia Lam... In Gia Vien district, there are communes such as Gia Thinh, Gia Tien, Gia Hung...

Cảnh sống trên thuyền, ngủ mái nhà ở rốn lũ sông Hoàng Long - 2

The floodwaters of the Hoang Long River after storm No. 3 began to rise on September 8 and have yet to recede. The floodwaters poured in so quickly that many households were caught off guard. Many families only had time to evacuate to avoid the flood, and their belongings were completely damaged by the floodwaters.

Cảnh sống trên thuyền, ngủ mái nhà ở rốn lũ sông Hoàng Long - 3

According to the forecast of Ninh Binh Hydrometeorological Station, the water level on Hoang Long River is changing slowly with a downward trend but still remains high. Therefore, the situation of thousands of houses in the "flood center" of Hoang Long River being flooded will continue for many days to come. The scene of people "living on boats, sleeping on roofs" will continue.

Cảnh sống trên thuyền, ngủ mái nhà ở rốn lũ sông Hoàng Long - 4

A typical scene of daily life in a household in Lien Phuong village, Gia Thuy commune, Nho Quan district, Ninh Binh. In a house flooded with water, furniture is placed or hung high up; animals are put on boats to live.

Cảnh sống trên thuyền, ngủ mái nhà ở rốn lũ sông Hoàng Long - 5

“Life has been completely turned upside down. This year the flood was almost as high as in 2017, but the water level came down so quickly that people were complacent and didn’t have time to react, so everything was submerged,” said Mr. Tuong (50 years old).

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Cảnh sống trên thuyền, ngủ mái nhà ở rốn lũ sông Hoàng Long - 7

The entire village roads and alleys were flooded 1-2 meters deep. To get around, people had to use car inner tubes and make rafts from banana tree trunks.

Cảnh sống trên thuyền, ngủ mái nhà ở rốn lũ sông Hoàng Long - 8

Every day, people eat instant noodles, rice or porridge provided by charity groups. Because their houses are flooded, the entire electricity system has been cut off, so people have to use batteries and rechargeable lamps for lighting. To maintain their lives, fishing is still done during the flood days to earn extra income.

Cảnh sống trên thuyền, ngủ mái nhà ở rốn lũ sông Hoàng Long - 9

Life on a boat has become all too familiar these days for people in the “flood center” area of Ninh Binh. Due to the flooding, many children cannot go to school and have to live on floodwaters with their parents.

Cảnh sống trên thuyền, ngủ mái nhà ở rốn lũ sông Hoàng Long - 10

People eat instant noodles, drink water, live on the roof waiting for the water to recede every hour, hoping life will soon return to peace.

Every day, charity groups will distribute rice and porridge to the people. Households with boats will come to the gathering point to receive food and water.