Community strength through storms and floods

During the days when Da Nang and the Central region were struggling with floods, from Hoi An, Dai Loc to Duy Xuyen, Go Noi... everywhere we saw the love of people helping each other.

Mr. Dao Dang Cong Trung's group and friends promptly rescued a family in Hoi An from a dangerous area. Photo: NVCC

The silent heroes

In the midst of the whirlpool of the Thu Bon River, Dao Dang Cong Trung, a native of Hoi An, and his friends Pham Hung Vi, Cao Hoang Phi, Nhan and Si jumped into the raging flood to save people. With their experience on the water, they used canoes, personal boats, and even borrowed jetskis from friends to reach isolated residential areas.

Over the course of five days, the group rescued 23 people in near-death situations, including many women and children. Along with that, they coordinated with philanthropists to transport more than five tons of relief goods to communes that had been isolated for many days, such as Cam Kim, Thanh Ha, Cam Nam, and Duy Vinh.

“The phone rang non-stop, in some places the water was up to the roof, only the flashlights were flickering. We didn’t think much of it, we just knew that our people were in dire need,” Trung recounted.

Flood rescue requires not only heart but also experience, skills and courage. The rescue work takes place in harsh conditions: fast flowing water, big waves, boats constantly crashing into obstacles.

Sometimes the motor of the canoe broke down in the middle of the river and they had to fix it themselves in the rain and wind. Meals were a hastily eaten loaf of bread and sleep was fitful amid the sound of rushing water.

“Every time we cross the river is a challenge. But thank God, we always make it home safely. Because above us is the storm, below the boat is the raging water, but in our hearts is human love,” Trung confided.

After days of wandering in the raging waters, they returned with losses: broken boats, injuries, exhaustion... but brought with them something priceless, which was the spirit of compatriots, the solidarity between people in times of trouble.

Humanity in hardship

At the same time, throughout Da Nang and neighboring flood areas, hundreds of volunteer groups, organizations and spontaneous people also joined hands to take action towards the flood areas.

In Hoi An, the group "Nong Nan Ha Noi " - a group of Hanoians living here, in just 72 hours raised more than 440 million VND, organized more than a thousand relief packages including rice, water, noodles, medicine, life jackets, and delivered them to areas that have been isolated for many days such as Thanh Ha, Cam Kim, Duy Vinh, Nong Son, Dai Loc.

Hoi An residents join hands with authorities to transport relief goods from cars to canoes to deliver to isolated areas. Photo: NVCC

“On the first night the water rose, the group met to discuss a plan and assigned tasks to each person: someone to collect goods, someone to transport them, someone to contact the authorities,” said Nguyen Ngoc Linh, a group representative.

Even more touching, two foreign tourists who witnessed the people struggling to cope with the flood also volunteered to join the group, helping to pack the goods and donate an additional 10 million VND.

Not only providing emergency relief gifts, with the funds raised, the group has planned to support in three phases: rescuing people and famine relief, restoring lives, then rebuilding livelihoods, helping severely damaged households resume production.

“A portion of the money will be sent to flood-affected areas with essential items such as food, medicine and cash. The remaining amount is expected to be used to buy medicine to treat diseases caused by the flood and provide cash to support families that have suffered great damage to restore their lives,” said a representative of the group “Nong Nan Ha Noi”.

During the days of flooding that raged across the city, countless acts of kindness were seen everywhere. From flooded streets to isolated rural areas, people, authorities and volunteer organizations all joined forces.

Thousands of Da Nang youth union members also joined forces with the people and government to clean up schools, cultural houses, and support house repairs for poor households with the simple slogan: "Where the water recedes, we clean up."

A group of more than 30 mechanics carrying tools, oil, and spare parts traveled across the flooded areas to repair cars for free for people. They worked from morning to night, cleaning each car - an important means of livelihood for people after the flood.

In Tra Doc commune, where 6 villages were isolated for many days, authorities had to use small boats to cross the rushing water to bring bags of rice, boxes of noodles, and bottles of water to the people.

Thousands of people here, from the elderly to the children, formed long lines to pass each part of the goods to each other in the rain and wind. These simple actions are a vivid expression of the strength of the community, of compassion and the awareness of "leaving no one behind".

In every storm and flood, the Vietnamese people have never stood by and watched. They saved themselves before looking to others, and then joined hands to save others. From fishermen rowing boats to look for stranded people, to union members cleaning schools, or volunteer groups collecting packets of instant noodles, they all share the same source - kindness.

People in the Central region still say: "When the flood passes, the land blooms again", because after each flood is a season of love budding, and faith is reborn from people's hearts.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/suc-manh-cong-dong-qua-bao-lu-3309579.html