Mekong Delta Battered By Tropical Storm, Two Fishermen Drowned, Houses Flooded, Rescue Boats Deployed

Can Tho, Vietnam— A tropical storm brought heavy rainfall to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta on October 31, 2026, leaving two fishermen drowned and submerging villages across the low-lying region.

The storm moved in from the South China Sea overnight. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said it was not a typhoon but carried massive moisture. Rain totals hit 250 millimeters in 12 hours in Ca Mau and Bac Lieu. Canals rose fast. That water has nowhere to go.

Officials said the two fishermen were brothers from Tran Van Thoi District. Their small wooden boat capsized at 5 a.m. while they were checking crab traps near the mangroves. Their bodies were found two hours later caught in nets. Local police said both were experienced but the current was too strong.

Flooding spread quickly. In Ca Mau, water covered the floors of more than 3,000 homes. In Soc Trang, rice paddies that were ready for harvest were under 50 centimeters of water. A farmer said his crop was gone in one night. He had borrowed money for fertilizer. Now he had nothing.

Roads were cut. National Highway 1A saw sections under 40 centimeters of water. Buses stopped. Motorbikes stalled. In Can Tho, pumps ran nonstop but drains backed up because tide was high. The tide blocked the river from draining. That happens often in the delta.

District governments opened 12 evacuation points. About 800 people moved to schools and commune houses. Many refused to leave because they feared theft. Others stayed to guard shrimp ponds. Shrimp farmers said saltwater intrusion would kill stock anyway.

The weather office said more rain was expected tonight as the storm’s tail lingered over the delta. It warned of river flooding and landslides on higher ground near U Minh forest. Fishermen were told not to go to sea for the next 24 hours.

This is the third major rain event in the delta this month. Climate experts said the delta is sinking while sea levels rise. Concrete embankments trap water inside. Old canals are clogged with trash and hyacinth. A local official said they need dredging, not promises.

By evening, rain had eased but water remained high. Rescue teams used small boats to deliver rice and water. The two fishermen’s families held funerals in the rain.