Tears by the Nam Non River

In just one night, hundreds of houses in the western part of Nghe An province were swept away and completely destroyed by a historic flood. When the water receded, many families were left penniless, living "under the open sky."

People are left homeless.

Due to the influence of the circulation of typhoon No. 3, on July 22nd and 23rd, heavy to very heavy rain combined with floodwaters flowing from Laos caused the western part of Nghe An province to rise rapidly, resulting in the collapse and complete destruction of many houses and suspension bridges.

Traveling over 300 kilometers, we arrived in Xieng Tam village (My Ly border commune, Nghe An province) on a day at the end of July, the aftermath of the historic flood caused by typhoon number 3 was devastating. Here, the once prosperous and beautiful village on the riverbank is now desolate and barren. Living along the Nam Non River, the people of Xieng Tam village said they had never witnessed a flood as horrific as this year.

Many residents of Xieng Tam village are heartbroken as their homes were completely swept away by the flood. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

At 102 years old, having spent over a century living in the mountainous border region of Nghe An province, Mr. Vi Minh Chuc is still shaken when he recalls the devastating flood that occurred on the night of July 22nd. The flood swept through in the blink of an eye, destroying houses, fields, and all the hard work of the villagers. Mr. Chuc said that he had never seen his homeland so devastated before.

For Mr. Chuc, it wasn't just a natural disaster, but a nightmare and a traumatic memory unlike anything he'd ever experienced in his life. At his age, like a towering tree in the mountains of the border region of Nghe An, Mr. Chuc still trembles when he recalls the roaring sound of the water in the middle of the night, the cries for help amidst the torrential rain.

National Highway 16, passing through My Ly and Nhon Mai communes, has suffered serious damage due to landslides. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

The devastating flood that swept through on the night of July 22nd caused 54 houses in Xieng Tam village (My Ly commune) to completely collapse into the Nam Non river, washing away the fruits of a lifetime's labor that the villagers had accumulated and built. Throughout the village, the sounds of heart-wrenching cries from the villagers filled the air amidst the devastation and ruin.

Ms. Vi Thi Hong (72 years old, residing in Xieng Tam village) wept uncontrollably as all her possessions and house were swept away by the devastating flood: “The flood rose so quickly, my children pulled me to the main road, I didn't have time to take anything. When the flood receded, the house was just a barren wasteland full of rocks, branches, and rotten wood. The machinery and many blocks of wood were buried or swept away. I didn't even have chopsticks to eat with, and I didn't have any clothes to change into.”

Ms. Vi Thi Hong (right, 72 years old, residing in Xieng Tam village) weeps uncontrollably as all her possessions and house are swept away after the devastating flood. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

Not far from there, although the floodwaters receded 4-5 days ago, every day, Vong Van Thoai (born in 1983, residing in Xieng Tam village) still goes to the empty plot of land where his wife and two children used to live. Thoai said: "On the night the flood swept away our house, my wife and children were lucky to be at her parents' home in Anh Son commune; otherwise, I don't know what would have happened."

"Now that our house and belongings have been completely swept away by the flood, my wife and I don't know when or where we'll get the money to rebuild it to provide shelter for our children," Thoai said bitterly.

Many houses along the Nam Non River were wiped out. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

The Nam Non River, flowing alongside National Highway 16, continues to surge with its muddy waters, becoming a menacing force that sweeps away the lives of dozens of Thai ethnic minority families in the border village of My Ly, leaving them homeless.

Mr. Luong Van Bay, Chairman of the People's Committee of My Ly commune, said that the recent historic flood caused severe damage to 388 households, including 201 houses that were completely swept away, leaving behind painful concrete foundations and pillars along the Nam Non River and National Highway 16. There are no homes to return to, no kitchens to cook dinner, not even clothes to change into. The once prosperous and peaceful village is now just a memory, and tears well up in the eyes. It's truly heartbreaking!

Human kindness after the devastating flood

At the very moment when the people of western Nghe An province were in the most dire straits, charitable groups and philanthropists, undeterred by the hardships of wading through mud and crossing streams with the help of police and soldiers, brought the most essential supplies to support the people in the flood-stricken areas.

Taking a break after delivering relief supplies to flood victims in Xieng Tam village, Pham Quoc Khanh, Team Leader of Bach Ma, Vietnam Off-Road Pickup Truck Club, said that immediately after receiving information about the damage in western Nghe An, the team proactively contacted the affected localities to gather information and prepare relief supplies. Upon hearing that transportation had been restored, the team immediately traveled 600 km from Hanoi to My Ly commune to provide timely assistance to the people.

Many relief teams distributed gifts and shared resources with the flood-affected people of Xieng Tam village. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

As dusk fell and heavy rains began to fall, the volunteer group from Dien Yen Green Army (Hung Chau commune, Nghe An province) was still busy distributing gifts to flood victims in My Ly commune. Holding a gift package containing mats, rice, instant noodles, and sweets, Mr. Vi Van Dien (Xieng Tam village) was deeply moved and choked up: “My family and many other villagers were swept away by the flood overnight, leaving us homeless. These days, we have received practical gifts that help alleviate our immediate hunger and cold. In the long term, we hope that the Party and the State will continue to care for and support us with housing and a stable life.”

On the road from the Mỹ Lý flood-stricken area, we encountered many volunteer groups urgently carrying relief supplies into the affected areas. Their feet were sinking deep into the mud, yet they persevered because the people in the heart of the flood zone were waiting for them. Soldiers, police officers, youth union members, and other organizations, along with local residents, quickly came to assist the affected families in clearing the mud and debris to help them stabilize their lives as soon as possible.

Many residents of Xieng Tam village are heartbroken as their homes were completely swept away by the flood. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

According to a quick report from the Standing Office of the Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue, and Civil Defense of Nghe An province on July 31, the effects of the remnants of Typhoon No. 3 caused a severe flood in the area, resulting in 4 deaths, 4 injuries, and the destruction of over 7,400 houses and many other structures and transportation infrastructure. The total estimated damage amounts to 3,550 billion VND.

According to statistics, the greatest damage was to people's property (1,471 billion VND) and transportation infrastructure (1,390 billion VND). The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province issued a "Call for support for people affected by floods," urging the community to join hands in helping flood victims overcome difficulties.

Ho Van Ngoi

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nuoc-mat-ben-dong-nam-non-post806394.html