Rebuild the house, reclaim the land.

After the flood, what was left for the people in the affected areas? They said, "We still have our hands. As long as we're alive, we still have our possessions. We'll rebuild our homes to rebuild our homeland."

Tra Tan has more than 30 landslides of varying sizes, and the local authorities are focusing their efforts on supporting the people. Photo: XH

There are still no final statistics on the damage from the historic floods of the past few days. Perhaps even just by observing, it is clear that the losses are immeasurable. Rebuilding lives after the floods is a matter that needs immediate attention.

Urgent support

Ms. Tao Thi To Diem, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Que Phuoc commune, was on duty 24/7 at the commune's People's Committee headquarters from the night of October 26th to October 30th. This also served as a shelter for over a thousand households in the surrounding area.

Every packet of instant noodles, dried food, and bottled water was carefully conserved by the villagers during the three-day flood. Meanwhile, Ms. Diem and other commune officials bravely evacuated residents from high-risk areas if the water level rose further.

Que Phuoc is arguably the locality with the highest number of flooded houses in Da Nang city, based on the total number of households. Out of more than 3,600 households in the entire commune, the same number of houses are submerged in floodwaters. The villages of Dong An, Binh Yen, and Phu Hoa are isolated. The roads connecting the commune center to these villages have suffered severe landslides. Fortunately, as of now, Que Phuoc has not reported any casualties.

The extent of flooding and damage to houses cannot be assessed in a day or two. Some families had stored rice and corn for the next season, but the rising water overnight prevented them from moving everything, resulting in total loss. Others had herds of pigs and a few cows, only to find their barns empty after fleeing the flood. But the most urgent need in the days immediately following the flood is food, provisions, and drinking water for the people.

“I’ve been constantly calling the members of the old Nong Son hometown association, trying to find ways to transport relief supplies to the people of Que Phuoc. What’s most needed now is drinking water, because the people here use well water for drinking, and now there’s not a single place that isn’t covered in mud,” said Mrs. Diem.

In Tra Tan, reports of damage were constantly being sent to the commune leaders. Despite being hit by both landslides and flash floods, fortunately, Tra Tan suffered no casualties in this historic flood.

At Ong Thuong peak, landslides completely destroyed 11 houses. In Ngoc Tu village, nearly 10 houses were also buried. As of the morning of October 30th, Tra Tan district had approximately 27 houses damaged by landslides.

"Fortunately, the injured were taken to the hospital in time, avoiding casualties," said Mr. Nguyen Hong Lai, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tra Tan commune.

Currently, Tra Tan commune is calculating and searching for sources to provide food, medicine, and other necessities to the people. While proactive stockpiling food, drinking water, and medicine is necessary, the people's needs are quite high. Furthermore, after the floods and landslides, the locality will face the risk of disease outbreaks due to contaminated water sources and the environment. Therefore, providing medicine is also one of the most urgent forms of support for mountainous communes at this time.

Post-flood reconstruction

The low-lying areas were also severely flooded during this event, with the majority of the population engaged in agriculture and forestry. The property damage from this flood is immeasurable.

In the darkness of night, relief forces in Duy Xuyen commune continued to deliver food and water to isolated households. Photo: XH

Not to mention, it also caused a disruption to people's lives. Houses, schools, and health centers were swept away. Many areas were isolated. People were worried about finding food, rediscovering their farmland, and repairing their homes so they could... continue living.

Ms. Tao Thi To Diem stated that in the coming period, people need support to resume production. Furthermore, the local transportation infrastructure is currently severely damaged. Repairing roads and rebuilding houses are the first priorities.

During this flood, the entire Que Phuoc commune had only one community flood shelter. The need for more community shelters located within residential areas, allowing people to proactively seek refuge, is a realization that emerged after the devastating flood.

While in mountainous areas, Mr. Nguyen Hong Lai suggested that geological surveys are needed in hilly and mountainous regions in general, including Tra Tan commune, to plan for the rational relocation of residents. In addition, the installation of an automated disaster warning system in hilly and mountainous areas to allow people to proactively seek shelter and evacuate is something many mountainous localities are hoping for.

Immediately after the devastating floods, local authorities simultaneously implemented numerous urgent measures such as food relief, environmental sanitation, disease prevention, and repairing schools so that students could return to class as soon as possible. Relief teams and volunteer groups were also facilitated to deliver rice, blankets, and medicine directly to people in affected areas.

But reconstruction, in its true sense, is not about rebuilding what has been lost, but about creating a new, safer, and more sustainable foundation. Storms and floods have been a part of Central Vietnam's history, but proactively coping with natural disasters still requires a long-term vision in strategic planning, infrastructure development, and investment in vulnerable areas. That responsibility rests with the government.

Duy Xuyen is urgently working to stabilize people's lives.

According to Mr. Dang Huu Phuc, Chairman of the Duy Xuyen Commune People's Committee, the locality has 9 villages with more than 2,500 households whose houses were flooded to a depth of 1-3 meters. As of October 30th, Duy Xuyen has not recorded any casualties, however, some infrastructure and houses are still submerged in floodwaters.

To quickly stabilize the lives of the people, the Duy Xuyen commune government has been focusing its human and material resources on urgently addressing the consequences of the floods. In particular, the commune is also reviewing vulnerable areas and landslide-prone zones to develop timely remedial plans. For severely damaged infrastructure, Duy Xuyen commune is promptly requesting the city to allocate resources for repairs as soon as possible.

PHI THANH

Source: https://baodanang.vn/dung-lai-nha-dung-lai-dat-3308932.html