Two-level local government: Close to the people, for the people - Part 1: A harsh test
The sudden flood in the western part of Nghe An brought an unprecedented test to the local government apparatus that had just transformed its model. When the floodwaters swept away houses, cut off roads, and isolated many communes, the commune-level government, which had just assumed all local administrative functions, immediately "entered the battle" from the front line, together with the people, building "flood-proof fortresses".
Political Reporter Group - Party Building• August 17, 2025
The sudden flood in the western part of Nghe An brought an unprecedented test to the local government apparatus that had just transformed its model. When the flood swept away houses, cut off roads, and isolated many communes, the commune-level government, which had just assumed all local administrative functions, immediately "entered the battle" from the front line, together with the people, building "flood-proof fortresses". It was in this difficult time that the administrative capacity, the spirit of serving the people, and the endurance of the new apparatus were vividly and authentically tested.
After the terrible flash flood that occurred on the night of July 22, we returned to Xieng Tam, once the most beautiful village in My Ly commune, now a desolate, devastated place. The foundations of the houses were gone, the schools were gone, even the familiar red dirt roads were now lost under layers of mud and soil. What the people here had painstakingly saved up over many years was swept away in less than an hour. The ferocious flood on the Nam Non river rushed down to the village like a monster in the pitch-black darkness.
“Now I can’t recognize my house anymore when I look around,” cried Vi Thanh Ha, one of the households in Xieng Tam whose house was swept away by the flood. Her tears mixed with the red mud on her face after several sleepless nights.
Statistics from the People's Committee of My Ly commune show that the flood swept away all 220 houses, 130 others were heavily flooded, 59 houses were partially flooded and 27 houses were eroded. Yen Hoa suspension bridge, connecting the villages with the commune center, was also swept away. National Highway 16, a vital route, was eroded and broken in many sections. The whole area seemed to be completely isolated from the outside world for many days. However, in the depths of the loss, the thing people mentioned most was a number of zero, that is, no human loss.
Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of My Ly Commune, Luong Van Bay recalled: "We closely monitored the weather developments and organized evacuations that night. The police, border guards, militia, and commune officials all went into the village to evacuate and help people escape in time." For the first time operating the new commune-level government apparatus, My Ly Commune - a mountainous border area still facing many difficulties - took timely action on the night of July 22, from organizing evacuations to coordinating forces according to the "4 on-site" motto (forces, command, logistics, and on-site means) was a fierce and challenging test, but the commune overcame it.
It can be said that the recent flood caused by the circulation of storm No. 3 was a harsh, historic test for Nghe An: At 9:00 p.m. on July 22, 2025, the water flow to the upstream of Ban Ve hydropower reservoir on Lam river reached 9,543 m³/s, nearly reaching the peak flood test threshold of 10,500 m³/s (corresponding to a frequency of 0.02%, meaning it only happens once every 5,000 years). In fact, the flood peak recorded at Ban Ve hydropower plant was up to 12,800 m³/s, far exceeding the forecast level, showing the abnormality and intensity of this flood.
Faced with that situation, Nghe An province quickly activated response plans according to 2 scenarios: Scenario 1 - evacuate people to the 2018 flood peak; Scenario 2 - evacuate people to a safer elevation than the 2018 mark. Every evacuation step was carefully calculated, from counting the number of households that needed to be evacuated, choosing temporary shelters, arranging safe places to eat and stay... ensuring that no one would be left homeless, hungry and cold during the flood.
In the spirit of "proactive prevention, timely response, urgent and effective recovery", Nghe An province promptly issued Urgent Notice No. 604/TB-UBND, requesting the maximum mobilization of forces and means to support people in evacuation, protecting lives and property. Right before the rainy season, the Provincial People's Committee directed localities to urgently review and update disaster prevention and control plans according to the "4 on-site" motto, especially focusing on the evacuation of people in areas at high risk of landslides and flooding. It was this early, proactive and realistic preparation that helped Nghe An significantly reduce damage. Compared to the scale and extent of destruction of the flood, considered a historic "great flood", this is a result that clearly shows the effectiveness of the direction and response work of local authorities at 2 levels in Nghe An, especially the role of the commune level.
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Assessing the effectiveness of the two-level local government operations during the natural disaster, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Hong Vinh emphasized: "Localities have demonstrated closeness, responsibility, adherence to the locality, adherence to the people, proactiveness, and not relying on superiors in the process of responding to the recent flood situations."
The circulation of storm No. 3 caused heavy rain and floods, directly affecting 35 out of 130 communes and wards in Nghe An province, causing serious damage to property and infrastructure. Updated to 10:00 a.m. on August 2, the estimated damage was up to 3,635 billion VND; of which, 450 houses collapsed, buried or were completely swept away; 5,426 houses were deeply flooded, the property inside was damaged and washed away after the water receded; another 1,601 houses were damaged by the impact of floodwaters and landslides... causing an estimated damage of 1,545 billion VND.
During the days of heavy rain and floods, when the Lam River rose and flowed rapidly, many commune officials in Nghe An had to hold back their tears, leaving behind their flooded family homes to stay with the people and maintain their position. They truly lived up to their role as the last “gatekeepers” between the people and the natural disaster.
One of them is comrade Luong Ba Vin - Party Secretary, Chairman of the People's Council of Yen Hoa highland commune. His house is in Tuong Duong commune, one of the most flooded areas on the night of July 22. When the floodwaters rose to submerge the house, his wife and children had to frantically carry each other and run up the hill to escape in the pouring rain. Meanwhile, comrade Vin was still on duty at the Yen Hoa commune headquarters, more than 45 km from his house, to direct flood response.
“It wasn’t just my house. There were also eight cadres from Yen Hoa commune whose houses in Tuong Duong commune were also flooded. But at that time, we only had one choice: Stay with the people,” said comrade Vin. Although his heart was burning, the commune Party Secretary and the commune officials continued to check the vulnerable points, support the evacuation of people and count the damage. It wasn’t until the morning of July 24, when the situation in the commune had basically stabilized, that he texted to report and ask for permission from Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Duc Trung to be absent from the meeting with the province to go home and take care of his family.
“Reporting to the Provincial Party Secretary! The situation of flood and storm prevention in Yen Hoa commune is basically stable. From the evening of July 22, 2025 until now, there has been a complete power outage. However, the houses of the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries of the Party Committee in Tuong Duong commune were flooded from 2 a.m. on July 23, and their wives and children escaped during the heavy rain and power outage. Currently, the water has receded in the house, but their wives and children have not been able to return due to the mud. With your permission, Provincial Party Secretary, this morning I will try to walk back to save my house…”.
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Comrade Luong Ba Vin said: “Immediately after receiving that message, the Provincial Party Secretary immediately called to share and encourage.” 10 days after the flood, Comrade Luong Ba Vin’s family’s house was cleared of a thick layer of mud. Most of the family’s assets were damaged because they had been submerged in floodwater for a long time.
In Muong Xen commune, on that historic rainy night, there were also cadres who sacrificed themselves to save people from the scythe of death. Comrade Vi Van Hieu - Member of the Party Committee Standing Committee, Commander of the Commune Military Command is a typical example. At around 9:00 p.m. on July 22, while the center of Muong Xen commune was submerged in water, he received an urgent call from the people: "There are people trapped in Block 5, the water is rising very quickly!"
Without a second of hesitation, he rushed into the rain with his teammates. When they arrived, the house where 5 people (2 women, 3 men) were staying had turned into an isolated “oasis” in the middle of the raging water. No vehicle could approach safely. In the moment of life and death, Comrade Hieu decided to tie a rope around himself, asked his teammates to hold the end of the rope, and then jumped into the raging water.
Once he reached the house, he calmly reassured each person, then took turns helping all five people escape the flood. After nearly 30 minutes of struggling with the rushing water, mud, and rocks, they were all rescued safely. When they reached the shore, Comrade Hieu's leg was covered in blood, a deep cut from hitting a sharp object in the water. "At that time, I could think of nothing else but to save people as quickly as possible. Human life is above all else," Comrade Hieu shared simply, as is often the case with soldiers. One of the five rescued victims, Ms. Bui Thi Que, emotionally recalled: "At that time, we panicked, thinking we would not survive. Seeing you guys rushing into the middle of the water, we felt like we were born again...".
During the recent historic flood, Nhon Mai commune was one of the most severely damaged places in Western Nghe An. Amidst the devastation, Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Council Mac Van Nguyen and other commune officials opened their own paths through the forest, walked more than 20 km and rowed boats along the Nam Non River to find a way to supply people, carrying each crate of goods across the stream, amidst the dirt and rocks still falling after the flood. "Even though our houses were flooded up to the roof, many cadres still could not return because the people needed us," said Comrade Nguyen. Amidst the chaotic mountains and forests after the flood, the journey of the Party Secretary of the commune was not only to transport relief goods to the people in time, but also to maintain the people's trust in the Party and the government.
Meanwhile, in Muong Tip commune on the Vietnam - Laos border, in the midst of the disaster, a touching story of love and compassion emerged along the Nam Non River. From July 21 to 27, the commune suffered two consecutive large flash floods due to the impact of storm No. 3 and the storm's circulation. In the midst of the hardship, the Party Committee and government of Muong Tip commune resolutely implemented the "4 on-site" motto, proactively providing relief and support to the villagers to overcome the flood. Not stopping there, Muong Tip commune also extended its arms of compassion to the other side of the border.
On the morning of July 31, when the people of Na Muong village (Noong Het district, Xieng Khouang province, Lao PDR) asked for support, Comrade Vi Thi Quyen - Party Secretary, Chairman of the People's Council of Muong Tip commune immediately directed the commune to coordinate with Ta Do Border Guard Station to transfer 40 gifts including rice, instant noodles, clean water, and essential items to share. The next day, boats carrying relief goods continued to cross the Nam Mo river, connecting the two banks of the Vietnam - Laos relationship. In the fierce flood, Muong Tip commune not only stood firm, but also extended its hands to share "neighbors help each other in times of need".
In the midst of the flood, the grassroots cadres and party members did not retreat, but became a reliable support for the people. In the face of such harsh challenges, the new commune-level government's management capacity, closeness to reality and "serving the people" spirit were affirmed by concrete and timely actions. Not only overcoming natural disasters, the cadres and party members also contributed to lighting up the people's trust in the Party and the government, a trust that was forged through hardship and sustained through silent sacrifices.
Immediately after the floods occurred in Nghe An, Dien Bien and Son La, General Secretary To Lam asked local Party committees and authorities at all levels to ensure that those who lost their homes due to floods have a place to stay, not to let people go hungry or cold, and to ensure basic life.
(To be continued)
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