Central Vietnam is once again facing floods.

Before the floodwaters could even recede, people in Central Vietnam were scrambling to cope with Typhoon No. 13 approaching the East Sea. The anxiety was heightened as the hills and mountains were already saturated with water, posing a significant risk of landslides and extensive damage if the typhoon struck.

Flood after flood

On the evening of November 2nd and the early morning of November 3rd, floods in Da Nang and Hue once again exceeded flood alert level 3, submerging many villages and towns. In Hoi An (Da Nang City), the Hoai River rose again, severely flooding many roads, and residents urgently moved their belongings and tourists to safe locations. This is the second time in a week that Hoi An has had to "flee the floods".

In the mountainous Tay Giang region, heavy rains lasting five days and five nights caused severe landslides, destroying transportation, electricity, and telecommunications infrastructure, isolating many areas. Mr. Bling Mia, Secretary of the Tay Giang Commune Party Committee, requested city support in clearing roads, supplying fuel and food; and permission to use vacant central government offices as evacuation centers and to build warehouses for essential supplies. Leaders of Tra Leng commune requested specialized watercraft and generators for use in case of flooding and road closures.

In A Vuong commune, many roads remain blocked by landslides. Mr. Briu Quan, Chairman of the People's Committee of A Vuong commune, said that many areas have been isolated for days, and rice and fuel supplies are almost depleted; the commune has requested urgent assistance of 54 tons of rice and satellite communication equipment. Meanwhile, Thu Bon commune is completely isolated, and rescue efforts are hampered as both roads to Nong Son and Dai Loc are cut off by floods. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a forward command post in Dai Loc to provide timely support and rescue.

Police are urgently evacuating residents from low-lying areas of Phu Xuan ward, Hue City, to avoid flooding. Photo: VAN THANG

By the afternoon of November 3rd, approximately 28,000 houses in 32 out of 40 communes and wards in Hue City were severely flooded; many roads were also heavily damaged. Looking at the raging floodwaters pouring into his house, Mr. Nguyen Khang (a resident of Vy Da ward, Hue City) lamented: “The floodwaters hadn’t even receded and the mud hadn’t been cleaned up yet when another wave of flooding hit. We’re exhausted.”

At noon the same day, the Hue City Military Command deployed dozens of officers and soldiers from the Zone 1 - Huong Tra Defense Command to urgently evacuate hundreds of people in the downstream area of ​​the Bo River, mainly the elderly and children, to safe shelters. The Huong Tra Ward Police also mobilized specialized forces to rescue Ms. Hoang Thi Noan (an elderly woman living alone who was injured in her flooded house) and 10 other residents from the dangerous area.

Landslides in many places.

In the mountainous and border communes of Da Nang City, landslides are occurring everywhere, threatening lives and infrastructure. At Ngoc Linh Ethnic Boarding Primary School (Tra Linh commune), many walls are cracked, the foundations are sinking, and the fences are collapsing, posing a risk of collapse at any time.

Teachers and parents had to urgently move desks, chairs, and learning materials across a 3km stretch of road affected by landslides to the commune's cultural center to ensure safety. Mr. Nguyen Tran Vy, the school principal, said that 34 students from grades 1 and 2 were transferred to the main school in Hamlet 2, where two additional classes have been opened and a boarding facility has been arranged for them to continue their studies.

Meanwhile, in Ngu Hanh Son ward (Da Nang), a sinkhole approximately 4 meters deep unexpectedly appeared in the middle of Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street. Authorities immediately cordoned off the area, erected warning signs, and directed traffic. That same morning, in Ong Da ravine (Thuong Duc commune, Da Nang), a landslide stretching several kilometers buried Mr. NQB (40 years old) while he was tending livestock on his farm. Rescue teams spent many hours trekking through the forest and digging to find the victim's body.

Soldiers and residents of Duy Nghia commune (Da Nang city) repair landslides along the An Luong embankment. Photo: Nguyen Cuong

Meanwhile, in Duy Nghia commune (Da Nang city), more than 1,000 residents, along with hundreds of officers and soldiers from Military Region 5, are still working day and night to reinforce the An Luong embankment, which suffered severe erosion after Typhoon No. 12. The eroded section is nearly 1km long, threatening more than 300 coastal households. After nearly a week of urgent work, the remediation efforts are basically complete, and no new erosion has been recorded.

Colonel Tran Huu Ich, Commander of the Da Nang City Military Command, personally inspected the scene and requested units to coordinate with the 315th Division and local authorities to mobilize manpower, materials, and equipment to reinforce the embankment and ensure the safety of the people.

Mr. Nguyen Ha Nam, Director of the Da Nang Department of Construction, said the city has declared a state of emergency to proactively address infrastructure damage. Currently, 7 national highways and 20 provincial roads are affected by landslides, with the most severe damage occurring on National Highway 14G, Provincial Road 606, and National Highway 40B. Forces and contractors have been mobilized to clear the roads, temporarily opening one lane for public use and rescue operations. The city has allocated 6.6 billion VND for immediate remediation, while infrastructure damage is estimated at approximately 190 billion VND. The Department of Construction has proposed an additional 80-100 billion VND for surveying, designing, reinforcing, and replacing damaged structures to ensure long-term traffic flow.

At the same time, in Ha Tinh province, prolonged heavy rain caused thousands of cubic meters of soil and rocks to slide down from Ru Rac mountain (Cam Trung commune), spreading hundreds of meters and affecting about 2 hectares of residential land. Although there were no casualties, this landslide damaged many structures and crops belonging to local residents.

After overcoming the floods, students return to school.

In Nam Tra My commune (Da Nang city), from early morning, many teachers from Kim Dong Primary School waded through mud and over landslides to reach Tra Mai and Tak Lu villages to safely bring students to class. In remote areas, parents had to walk nearly half an hour with their children to the meeting point, after which teachers used motorbikes to transport the children further.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, the school's Vice Principal, after the break due to floods, about 80% of students have returned to school. The school has 5 campuses with 23 classes and 645 students, and transportation remains disrupted in many areas. During the floods, most teachers stayed at school; when the weather stabilized, 9 teachers from the lowlands returned to teach. The school flexibly adjusted the timetable, sending teachers to landslide-affected villages to pick up students, ensuring the curriculum remained relevant as the area was about to be affected by Typhoon No. 13.

On November 3rd, the Chairman of the Da Nang City People's Committee, Pham Duc An, signed a decision allocating 210 billion VND from the city's budget to support 72 communes and wards in overcoming damage and helping people stabilize their lives as soon as possible.

In Thua Thien Hue, many agencies and schools are also urgently supporting people and students in overcoming difficulties. The University of Economics - Hue University is providing 100,000 VND per student and 500,000 VND per lecturer and employee (total funding exceeding 1.1 billion VND). The University of Foreign Languages ​​- Hue University is donating 200,000 VND per student, with payments expected to be completed before November 5th. On the same day, the People's Committee of Hue City received 500 million VND in support from the Vietnam Maritime Corporation; Bitexco Group provided 200 million VND, 10,000 gift packages, and 10 tons of rice to help the city overcome the consequences of the floods.

XUAN QUYNH - VAN THANG - DUONG QUANG - PHAM NGA - NGUYEN CUONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/mien-trung-lai-chay-lu-post821553.html