People urgently clean up after the flood

"Where the water recedes, clean up" - That is the experience of people overcoming the consequences of floods on streets such as Thanh Nien, Tran Hung Dao, Hoang Hoa Tham, Yet Kieu... Yen Bai ward.

After last year's storm Yagi, people on Thanh Nien, Tran Hung Dao, and Hoang Hoa Tham streets ( Yen Bai ward) thought their lives had gradually stabilized. However, just one year later, they continued to suffer from a historic flood caused by storm No. 10 with serious destruction. Despite being proactive and learning from previous natural disasters, this year's flood came unexpectedly with a large volume and rising water levels, leaving many households unable to respond in time. Low-lying streets were submerged in water for many hours.

Mr. Mien urgently cleaned up the mud to soon stabilize his life.

Mr. Nguyen Van Mien, who lives on Thanh Nien Street, shared: The water rose too quickly. Although my family proactively moved our belongings to higher ground, it was still too late. The refrigerator and many foods were completely submerged, so all day yesterday we had to survive on instant noodles. Luckily, the water has now receded, and the whole family is urgently cleaning up and collecting mud.

According to Mr. Mien, in less than an hour, the water from the Red River rose very quickly and flooded into the house, carrying garbage and mud. Many electronic devices and household furniture could not be saved. In more than 30 years of living here, he said he had never witnessed a flood that happened as quickly as this one.

Not only Mr. Mien’s family, hundreds of households on Thanh Nien Street are also in the same situation: power outage, lack of water, spoiled food, houses covered in mud. However, Mr. Mien still remains optimistic when witnessing many people, functional forces and volunteer groups coming to support.

“I was moved when I saw the young people, soldiers and police coming to help clean up the mud. In times of trouble, we can see clearly the humanity, the local government and organizations joining hands with the people” - Mr. Mien added.

In such difficult circumstances, the spirit of community solidarity was promoted even more strongly. People joined hands to clean up, share tools, food and resources. It is precious that after cleaning up their own houses, many families did not rest but continued to help their neighbors overcome the consequences.

Households together help clean up after the flood.

Despite active cleaning, many households are still left in disarray after the flood due to the large amount of mud.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hoan on Hoang Hoa Tham Street said: My family just finished cleaning up the mud, so we immediately went with everyone to support the family next door. Everyone did their part, from shoveling mud, sweeping to cleaning, everyone tried their best to quickly restore normal life.

Ms. Nguyen Hong Nhung on Tran Hung Dao Street was moved and shared: Luckily, there were no casualties. People in the neighborhood encouraged each other to try their best. Many households proactively rented pumps and generators to pump water from the Red River, cleaning the mud from the entire neighborhood.

Cleaning work is still facing many difficulties.

During these days, the neighborhood bond has become closer and warmer than ever. Those who have machines and tools are willing to lend them; those who are still healthy contribute to the clean-up, no one is left behind in difficult times. It is this sharing that has become a great source of motivation, helping people on Thanh Nien, Tran Hung Dao, Hoang Hoa Tham, Yet Kieu streets... to overcome the harsh rainy and flooded days together.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hong on Yet Kieu Street is still in shock when recalling the time of the flood: We have never witnessed such a scene. The whole neighborhood was submerged in water. But the most precious thing is the sharing - from neighbors, authorities to strangers. That is a great source of encouragement.

The most difficult part is probably on small roads like Mai Hac De, Tran Nguyen Han, etc., where the mud and soil stagnates with no way out, causing serious congestion. People have to scoop up buckets of mud by hand and transport them to a further gathering point, because large machinery cannot access the narrow road.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Minh, a resident on Tran Nguyen Han Street, said: His family has basically removed the mud from their house, but the remaining volume is still very large because the mud layer is too thick and heavy. The narrow road makes it impossible for machines to access, so everything has to be done manually. The whole family had to work together to clean up, even asking neighbors to help scoop out buckets of mud. Although it was hard, everyone tried their best with the hope of stabilizing their lives soon.

By the afternoon of October 1, the flooding had been basically resolved and traffic was temporarily cleared. However, the amount of mud and waste was still large, hindering people's daily activities and travel. Yen Bai ward authorities are continuing to mobilize specialized machinery and vehicles and organize shock troops and volunteers to support people in overcoming the consequences.

Tran Hung Dao street is flooded with mud and garbage.

The consecutive floods in recent years are a clear warning of the unpredictability of extreme weather under the impact of climate change. Although people have become more proactive and experienced in responding to it than before, the speed and intensity of sudden floods still exceed the ability to handle on the spot.

“Where the water recedes, people clean up” - this motto shows resilience, helping people quickly stabilize their lives after storms and floods. Although the road ahead is still full of hardships, the spirit of solidarity, sharing and cooperation of the community is always a solid support. It is humanity and kindness that has given people in the flood-affected areas the strength to firmly overcome, as they have done through many previous natural disasters.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/nguoi-dan-khan-truong-don-dep-sau-lu-post883403.html