On Sunday morning, the Mekong in Prey Veng rose above the official alert level. Days of rain in the upper basin hit the lowest riverside land first.
Provincial officials said some houses in Peam Chor and Pea Reang are already in the water. A few village roads can be used only by boat. Some families have moved to pagodas or to relatives on higher ground.
Rescue teams opened safe shelters at pagodas and schools and handed out dry food and clean water. The gendarmerie and the Cambodian Red Cross helped move older people and children.
Farmers on the lowest fields worry about wet-season rice that has just begun to flower. Authorities are looking for extra pumps from neighboring provinces to save what they still can.
The water resources office asked residents to check water levels three times a day and to avoid traveling at night on flooded roads. If the river keeps rising, nearby districts may be added to the evacuation plan.
