A plea from the flood area: Flood water flows, tears flow!

Khanh Hoa: Four days after the terrible flood, rice sprouted, household items were damaged, there was a lack of electricity, water, food, clothing, and everything else. The people of Khanh Hoa were worried.

Lose everything overnight

It has been four days since the flood swept through Dien Dien commune ( Khanh Hoa ), the shock is still imprinted on the faces of every local resident, because they have never had to endure such a terrible flood before. The once bustling, familiar areas are now just desolate.

The old man's house in Trung 1 village, Dien Dien commune is submerged in mud. Photo: Phuong Chi.

Along the inter-commune road in Trung 1 village and some neighboring roads, traces of the flood are still visible on every muddy road surface. The flood left behind a mess for the local people, both sides of the road were filled with piles of damaged household items, the people were struggling in a state of deprivation, after a night of almost total loss.

In many houses, floodwaters have submerged everything from blankets, curtains, clothes to televisions, refrigerators… all submerged in mud and severely damaged. Many households do not even have a single set of clothes to wear, and have to rely on support from benefactors. The water has receded, but many places in Dien Dien still have no running water or electricity; people can only try to scrape off the mud, unable to wash or clean anything.

Mr. Chau Van Sinh in Dong 1 village, Dien Dien commune, was shocked when he recounted the moment when floodwaters were about to swallow his house. Photo: Phuong Chi.

Mr. Chau Van Sinh in Dong 1 village, Dien Dien commune, still trembles when recalling the terrifying moment: "The floodwater rose quickly, flowing very strongly, no matter how high the furniture was placed, it was all knocked down, everything was broken, nothing was left, it was so tragic." Before the floodwaters were about to swallow the whole house, Mr. Sinh only had time to break the door to help his blind old mother cling to a homemade buoy and then help her up to a high hut to avoid the disaster.

Now, Mr. Sinh's family lives on charity meals, and the few bags of rice they saved have been damaged by the flood. There is no electricity, no drinking water, and they have to wear temporary relief clothes. The family of 7 already had a difficult life in an old house, relying on small jobs. Life was already difficult before, but now that the flood has swept through, he is almost exhausted and has no place to start over.

“Everyone has suffered from the floods. Now we just hope the government will have policies to support people in flooded areas so that their lives can stabilize soon. For now, we just hope to have electricity and water to clean up our houses and then work again to make a living,” Mr. Sinh said.

The bags of rice that people in Dien Dien commune had saved were damaged by floodwaters and had to be thrown away. Photo: Phuong Chi.

Not far away, Huynh Tan Hiep’s house was also flooded more than 2 meters deep. All the furniture in the house was submerged in mud, the walls were patchy, the floor was full of trash and mud. Hiep looked around helplessly and then bent down to scrape each layer of mud, waiting for the water to return so he could clean it.

People expect support

Not only Dien Dien, Dien Khanh commune also suffered heavy damage in the recent flood. Thanh market, once a crowded and bustling place for trading, now only has a desolate scene, a strong musty smell, and damaged goods piled up after the water receded.

Ms. Vo Thi Tuyet Loi, a shoe vendor at Thanh market, said that despite trying to place her goods high, the floodwaters still swept away most of her belongings, causing an estimated loss of more than 200 million VND. “There has never been a flood like this before, all the savings I saved up have been washed away with the water,” Ms. Loi choked up, her eyes filled with tears.

Ms. Vo Thi Tuyet Loi stood stunned as most of her goods were swept away by floodwaters, causing estimated damage of more than 200 million VND: Photo: Phuong Chi.

Mr. Hoang Tho Tuyen, owner of a restaurant in Dinh Thanh 2 residential group, was also stunned by the scene of devastation after the flood. Tables, chairs, kitchen utensils and dozens of newly imported beer crates that had not yet been sold were swept away by the water; two small trucks used to transport ice were also submerged by the flood. Mr. Tuyen and his relatives are rushing to clean up the mud and wash each item in the hope of reopening the restaurant as soon as possible.

Now, people in the flood-affected areas can only hope for timely support from agencies, units, and philanthropists to quickly stabilize their lives and overcome these difficult days. In the immediate future, they need clean water, electricity, rice, drinking water, clothes, and essential items. In the long term, they hope to receive financial support to repair their homes, restore their livelihoods, and replace assets lost due to the flood.

Floodwaters submerged and damaged all belongings. Now people can only rely on meals, clothes, blankets... from relief groups. Photo: Phuong Chi.

Every day, there are still groups of volunteers from all over the country coming back, bringing meals, drinks, milk, clothes, and blankets to share the loss with the people in the flooded areas. Military forces are also present to support the locality in overcoming the damage caused by the floods, cleaning and sanitizing schools so that children can return to class soon.

The floods have not only caused heavy property damage, but also left behind a series of environmental problems that need to be addressed urgently. Along the roads, people's damaged belongings are piled up in large piles, putting a lot of pressure on the garbage collection force. If not handled thoroughly, there is a risk of disease outbreaks in the coming days.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/loi-khan-cau-tu-vung-lu-nuoc-lu-troi-nuoc-mat-chay-d786095.html