About 26km south from the center of Da Nang city, Dien Ban Dong ward (Da Nang city) is still covered with mud after the flood receded. All roads are covered with thick layers of mud, making them slippery.
People were busy cleaning up, everyone trying to restore the rhythm of life after days of rising floodwaters. Some people were using brooms to push mud out of their houses, others were taking their motorbikes to be repaired, and some were busy carrying wet clothes and arranging each item that had been soaked with water.
In the small level 4 house, the flood marks of more than a meter deep are still clearly visible on the wall. Ms. Truong Thi Muoi (born in 1966, residing in group 13, block 7A, Dien Ban Dong ward) has just brought her elderly mother back home after the flood receded. The house is dirty, furniture is in disarray.
Ms. Truong Thi Muoi said that the past few days were the most memorable time in many years. Although she was used to the rain and floods, this flood came so quickly and fiercely that the whole family was caught off guard. When the water started to rise, she had to quickly evacuate her elderly mother first, then return to pack up the furniture. But just a few hours later, the water flooded into the house, sweeping away many belongings.
The jar containing about 300kg of rice, enough food for her family to eat for 3 to 4 months, was broken. Many appliances such as the washing machine, refrigerator, and water purifier were damaged. The electricity had not been restored yet, so she and her relatives could only clean up temporarily to welcome her mother home. “The water rose so quickly, unlike other years,” she said, her eyes tired but still shining with resilience after the storm and flood.
Ms. Muoi’s story is also a common situation of many households after the flood. When the water receded, a thick layer of mud covered all the roads, especially in Dai Loc commune.
At Ai Nghia Crossroads Market, mud is still everywhere, making it difficult to move around and clean up. The vendors have temporarily stopped selling and are working together to overcome the consequences of the flood. They have muddy bags of goods, brooms, and buckets of cleaning water in their hands, all persevering amidst the strong smell of mud.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh, a shoe vendor at the market, sighed: “When I heard the flood warning, I wrapped my goods and put them up high, but the water rose too quickly, I couldn’t react in time. Now my goods are covered in mud, and no one is buying them. Maybe I will sell them cheaply, or give them to people who have suffered more damage.”
Not far away, in Ai My village, many roads were still flooded with mud up to tens of centimeters thick. Trees in gardens were downed, their roots buried in wet soil. In each house, the traces of the flood were still clear – mottled walls, damp furniture, mud everywhere.
Mr. Pham Hiep (residing in Hamlet 6, Ai My, Dai Loc Commune) quietly collects the mud-covered memorial photos. The old house where the altar for his parents and relatives was placed collapsed when the floodwaters rose. Now, he sits in the middle of the yard, carefully wiping each photo, drying them under the weak sunlight at the end of the day.
“All the memorial photos were wet. My parents’ photos are still there, but my younger brother’s photo has not been found yet. This house is a place of worship, now I just hope to rebuild it firmly so that there will be a place to burn incense,” he said, his eyes red.
Despite the heavy losses, people are still trying to restore their lives after the flood. On the national highway, workers braved the sun and rain to patch up landslides, fill potholes, and clear drains. Power poles were inspected by authorities to restore power to the people as soon as possible. In the village, the sound of brooms and shovels shoveling mud mixed with the people's encouraging laughter.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nguoi-dan-guong-day-sau-khi-lu-rut-post821123.html
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