Dang Thi Ba, 75, of Lang Sen Hamlet, one of the hardest-hit areas of Vinh Chau Commune, sits in a boat in front of her daughter's house, weaving baskets from dried water hyacinth.
Her home, built 10 years ago and already raised above road level to ward off floods, is now submerged under 20–50 cm of water.
Nearby, Nguyen Van Dong's house has been submerged by 30–50 cm of water inside their home for the past two weeks.
The 52-year-old and his family have set up temporary wooden walkways made from cajeput logs to move around.
Electronic appliances like refrigerators and stabilizers have been put on high places.
The family also relies on boats to move around the house.
In the kitchen, wooden boards have been laid for walking on, though family members still frequently wade through water.
"My feet have been chafed for more than half a month. I hope the flood recedes soon," Dong said.
Ut had first put his belongings on bricks, but as water levels climbed daily he added wooden boards, stacking them together above plastic stools.
Nguyen Van Huynh, 53, has draped plastic sheets over the rear of his house for protection.
"Floodwaters in the fields have risen to more than 2 m. During heavy rain and strong winds, waves rush into homes quickly," Huynh said.
Rising water levels have also disrupted school commutes.
On Thursday, Le Lam Thien, 35, used a small boat to pick up his children and three nieces from school, which is two km away.
"I take my children to and from school by boat four times a day. There's no time for anything else," Thien said.
Meteorological agencies said this year's flood is only 0.5–1 meter lower than the historic floods of 2000 and 2011, with water levels expected to peak at over 2.8 meters by the weekend.
A family grave house stands isolated in flooded fields where water has risen more than 2 m.
Flooding in the Mekong Delta is usually gradual and predictable, unlike flash floods that strike the north and central regions.
The Mekong Delta flood season runs from August to November, with waters slowly rising along rivers and depositing sediment and aquatic life across the plains. These seasonal floods help fertilize fields, flush away toxins, and provide valuable aquatic resources for local communities.
In recent years, however, upstream dams, tidal surges and climate change have made floods less predictable. Sediment deposits have declined and aquatic resources have fallen.
