United in overcoming the flood

The numbers speak for themselves.

The impact of the circulation of Typhoon No. 10, with prolonged heavy rain, has caused particularly severe damage throughout the province. According to a quick report from the Provincial Civil Defense Command Office, as of 6 PM on September 30th, four people were missing due to landslides in Lung Cu commune; more than 1,000 houses were flooded or damaged, requiring urgent relocation. Of these, 700 houses were damaged; 320 houses required urgent relocation; and 19 houses were at risk of being affected by landslides.

The heavy rains and floods are also submerging thousands of houses, concentrated in the following wards and communes: Tan Long, Nong Tien, Thai Binh , Binh Ca, Yen Son, Thai Hoa, Na Hang, Tan My, Yen Lap, Chiem Hoa, Hoa An, Kim Binh, Luc Hanh, Xuan Van, My Lam, Kien Dai, Nhu Khe, and Bac Me.

Officers and soldiers of Regiment 247, under the Provincial Military Command, actively assisted owners of floating houses in Minh Xuan ward in moving and securing their houses to ensure safety. Photo: Ly Thinh

The storm and floods damaged many schools, medical facilities, and irrigation works; inundating over 180 hectares of rice paddies, more than 100 hectares of corn fields, and large areas of vegetables and perennial crops. Traffic was paralyzed in many areas, with some roads severely damaged by landslides, causing localized traffic jams. Power poles were broken and collapsed, and the roofs of two commune People's Committee offices and many village cultural centers were blown off.

In Chiêm Hóa commune alone, 1,791 households across 31 villages were cut off; 571 households across 26 villages had to be evacuated to avoid flooding; production losses exceeded 200 hectares of various crops, 11.05 hectares of aquaculture, and 6 fish cages; total damages exceeded 3.6 billion VND. In Nà Hang commune, 300 households were severely flooded, 12 households had to be evacuated, and 3 villages were isolated. The situation is basically stable; the commune has directed villages to proactively prepare supplies and arrange for the evacuation of households from dangerous areas.

In particular, in Ma Lau A village (Lung Cu commune), a serious landslide buried 4 people, and dozens of households were placed in high-risk areas. On the same day, authorities promptly evacuated 60 households to safety.

The damage figures not only reflect the devastating power of the natural disaster but also sound an alarm about the increasing severity of storms and floods in the northern mountainous region.

Timely attention and compassionate embraces

Given the complex flood situation, especially with the unusually high water level of the Lo River, on the night of September 30th, Comrade Hau A Lenh, Member of the Central Committee of the Party and Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, personally inspected the Minh Xuan and Nong Tien wards, instructing local leaders to be on duty 24/7 and absolutely not to be complacent. The Provincial Party Secretary emphasized: maximum mobilization of forces and resources is necessary to assist people in moving their property, ensuring safety of lives, and disseminating information to people not to gather along the riverbanks when water levels rise.

On the morning of October 1st, at a meeting of the Provincial Party Committee's Standing Committee, the Provincial Party Secretary emphasized the absolute requirement to maintain contact with people in areas that are cut off and isolated; and at the same time, urgently provide food and essential supplies, proactively disseminate information, mobilize and organize the relocation of people from areas at high risk of landslides and flash floods to safe places.

In addition, it is necessary to establish addresses for receiving support from organizations and individuals; and to organize the distribution in a rational, open, transparent manner, ensuring that the aid reaches the right recipients and serves the intended purpose. The Provincial Party Secretary requested that all meetings be temporarily suspended, postponed, or delayed to focus on flood prevention and control efforts.

Militia forces of My Lam ward help residents of Cay Quyt 2 residential area harvest rice to escape the flood. Photo: Kim Ngoc.

Previously, on September 29th, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee issued a directive focusing on responding to Typhoon No. 10 and the resulting heavy rains, landslides, flash floods, and mudslides. On the morning of October 1st, Chairman Phan Huy Ngoc inspected the flood situation in Chiem Hoa commune. He requested that the local authorities continue to closely monitor the flood situation, prioritizing the safety of people's lives.

At the scene in Ma Lau A village (Lung Cu commune), the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, Ha Trung Kien, was present to direct rescue efforts. Lieutenant Colonel Kieu Hai Dang, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Defense Command of Region 1 - Yen Minh, said that the unit had mobilized 46 officers and soldiers along with militia, police, and border guards to coordinate the search for the missing person. The recovery work was carried out vigorously under challenging terrain conditions, where motorized vehicles could not access the area, and many sections required traversing the forest and manual digging.

The night of October 1st was a sleepless night for many communes, especially in Ha Giang 1 and Ha Giang 2 wards, as the Lo River's water level exceeded historical flood peaks. Amidst the vast expanse of water, rescue forces and neighbors promptly assisted in relocating and protecting property. The story of Ms. Du Thi Thuyet, from Minh Khai neighborhood group 18, Ha Giang 2 ward, is a vivid example: when four warehouses containing pharmaceuticals were at risk of being submerged, Ms. Luu Thi Lam – the neighborhood group leader – joined forces. After three hours, all the medicine was safely relocated.

Police, military, and border guard forces were on duty throughout the night, using canoes, boats, and rafts to rescue people. Many soldiers were exhausted from hours of rain but remained resolute, responding immediately to the call of "the people call." Local and social media volunteer groups called for donations of rice, instant noodles, drinking water, blankets, flashlights, and reached out directly to deliver supplies to people in the flooded areas.

In Na Hang, the volunteer club, in collaboration with the commune's People's Committee, organized the cooking of meals to send to flooded villages. The spirit of sharing and solidarity warmed the homes during the night of heavy rain and flooding.

The provincial Red Cross Society has proactively worked with charitable organizations and suppliers of essential goods; established task forces to be ready to respond to emergency situations related to storms and floods. The Society also coordinated with agencies, units, and localities to strengthen the dissemination of forecast and warning information about natural disasters to the people through various forms.

Flood control experience - lessons for the present and the future.

For the past three consecutive years, localities in Tuyen Quang province have repeatedly suffered from natural disasters, causing heavy losses of life and property. Despite proactive efforts to prevent and mitigate these disasters, the consequences remain severe, partly due to the increasing severity of the calamities and partly due to the complacency and negligence of some residents.

Many households suffered heavy losses in floods because they "forgot" warnings, failed to evacuate in time, or were complacent, thinking their area was higher than the flood level. This year's flood was even more severe, with higher water levels and significant damage from landslides in many areas. At landslide sites, people sometimes did not foresee the danger, such as cracks, and did not take timely precautions.

One of the key aspects of flood management is the regulation of hydroelectric reservoirs. In the context of heavy rainfall and rapidly increasing water inflow into the reservoir, opening the bottom sluice gates is necessary to reduce pressure, prevent downstream dam breaches, and avoid secondary flooding. However, flood releases must be closely coordinated with informing downstream residents so they can move their belongings and evacuate promptly. This requires an early warning system and continuous, synchronized information at all levels, from the province to the commune.

Proactively and flexibly implement the "four on-the-spot" principle (on-the-spot forces - on-the-spot equipment - on-the-spot command - on-the-spot logistics) to respond quickly, without waiting for aid from afar, especially in the implementation of a two-tiered local government system. Local forces must always be on standby, ready to perform their duties. Information must be continuously disseminated through loudspeakers, social media, and village warning systems so that people are aware and can proactively evacuate.

Furthermore, the province needs solutions to build robust infrastructure that is adaptable to natural disasters, construct residential clusters, and resettle people in landslide-prone areas. This includes improving slopes to prevent landslides, constructing stone embankments, improving drainage systems in urban areas, protecting riverbanks, upgrading canals and dikes, and planning residential areas to avoid areas prone to landslides and slippery conditions.

Strengthening reforestation in headwater areas and maintaining vegetation cover will reduce surface runoff, limit soil erosion, landslides, and flash floods. In particular, people must proactively monitor the situation, listen to warnings, and comply with evacuation requests from local authorities to minimize damage.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Thap, Chairman of the Provincial Business Association, shared: "Given the complex weather developments, the Tuyen Quang Provincial Business Association has proactively provided information and updates to businesses so they can prepare timely response measures."

Drawing lessons from the 2024 flood, throughout September 30th, the Association continued to disseminate directives from the province and relevant agencies, updating information on upstream rainfall and flood releases from the Tuyen Quang Hydropower Plant via the Association's Zalo groups. This helped businesses in the Ham Yen, Chiem Hoa, Yen Son, Son Duong, and Tuyen Quang areas stay informed. Businesses proactively moved assets and equipment, ensuring the safety of their workers.

The association also called on member businesses to continue promoting the spirit of community support, with technical resources ready to participate in rescue efforts when floods occur. Businesses will coordinate with the authorities to transport people and property to safe places.

The education sector issued an urgent document, requiring schools to suspend classes when there is a risk, considering the safety of students and teachers as the top priority. The power sector proactively developed plans to resolve the issue and restore power as quickly as possible.

At an online meeting with communes and wards to assess the damage and implement response measures to Typhoon No. 10 (Bualoi), Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Manh Tuan requested that the entire political system from the province to the grassroots level must urgently and decisively respond, ensuring that no one goes hungry, cold, or without food; and as soon as the water recedes, they must quickly restore the environment and rebuild lives and production.

Currently, Tuyen Quang is still struggling to cope with the storms and floods. Fields remain covered in mud, roofs are damaged, roads are not yet fully reopened, and missing victims are still unaccounted for... all of which require the tireless efforts of the entire political system and every citizen.

But above all, the people of Tuyen Quang still feel heartwarming because, amidst the storm, human kindness never fades. The close attention of the Party committee and government; the selfless dedication of the rescue forces; and the sincere sharing of the people and charitable organizations have become a "lifeline" helping the people overcome danger.

Biện Luân

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202510/dong-long-vuot-lu-1277305/