Four days have passed, and all the "colors" of Hoi An have been submerged under the silvery water; the romantic Hoai River with its dazzling lanterns is nowhere to be seen.
Mr. Dang Van Khanh, a boat owner who regularly takes tourists on the Hoai River every day, said while steering our boat: "Compared to the usual water level of the Hoai River, the current water level is more than 4 meters higher."
Noticing the customer's skeptical look, Mr. Khanh took the oar, held it upright from the boat, and plunged it straight into the water. The water touched his short sleeves at the armpits but remained empty underneath. Mr. Khanh asserted, "Normally, the Hoai River's water level is 1 meter lower than the road surface, but this oar is 2 meters deep. Look at the doors of the houses on both sides!"
The roofs of the houses along the two streets, the trellises that normally served as shelters, are now right at the water's edge. Looking inside, the main entrances of the houses are completely submerged. A World Heritage site, a renowned port city throughout Asia for centuries, remains motionless beneath the water. The floodwaters still rage, and motorboats still have to "roar" to navigate the strong currents at each section near the street name markers. The Hoai River has abandoned the ancient town!
Right in front of Nguyen Duy Hieu Secondary School, the picturesque Phan Chau Trinh street has become a "boat dock," a gathering point for dozens of boats not carrying passengers, but transporting residents from the Old Quarter to and from the flooded areas. Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen Nhu Hac, from Cao Hong Lan Street, took a boat home. Mr. Hac said: "My wife and I had to rent a boat to go out to buy necessities, and then take another boat back home." Unusually, instead of entering through the front door, he had to climb the wall and ascend the emergency staircase at the back to get into his house.
Ms. Pham Thi Loan, a resident of Nguyen Tri Phuong Street, Cam Nam Ward, said: "For the past few days, we've had to go outside and stay at a friend's house in an area not affected by flooding. With no electricity and no water, my mother is upstairs collecting rainwater from the corrugated iron roof to drink; yesterday, the rescue team provided drinking water."
The heritage town of Hoi An is still welcoming many foreign tourists, and life remains bustling. Ms. Dang Thi Thuy Trang, a resident of An Hoi Hamlet, Hoi An Ward, had to leave her home and stay with acquaintances to escape the floods for the past few days. She recounted that from the morning of October 27th, the river water began to rise, flooding people's homes. People heeded warnings from the local authorities, using the 2017 flood level as a benchmark. However, the flood rose very quickly, and people couldn't move their belongings in their houses in time. By noon, a series of houses on both sides of Bach Dang and Nguyen Phuc Chu streets along the Hoai River were completely submerged.
By the afternoon of October 27th, the water level had risen to the ceiling of the first floor of houses. Those without an upper floor had to seek shelter elsewhere; most families with upper floors also had to leave because they didn't know how high the floodwaters would rise. Streets such as Tran Phu, Le Loi, Nguyen Thai Hoc, and Cong Chua Ngoc Hoa were all deeply flooded; the entire Hoi An, Hoi An Tay, and Hoi An Dong wards were heavily inundated; the center of the old town was completely submerged. By the evening of October 29th, the floodwaters officially surpassed the record for the highest flood level in history, set in 1964, officially establishing a new record.
However, despite the flooding, the people of Hoi An remain optimistic; businesses continue as usual and are bustling in the unflooded streets; and the everyday tourist boats and canoes have become a means of transportation or mutual assistance among the locals.
On the evening of October 30th, pre-packaged food supplies from various organizations were still being gathered at "boat docks" to be delivered to people living in the flooded areas. Floodwaters remained high, but the people of Hoi An were mentally preparing themselves for the floodwaters to recede.
"We're used to it; we experience floods almost every year. Although this year's flood is record-high, it will recede, and Hoi An will be vibrant and bustling again, welcoming tourists with the enthusiasm of a world heritage site," said Ms. Dang Thi Thuy Trang happily.
Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/hoi-an-van-ngam-minhtrong-lu-20251030194050679.htm
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