Life in Hung Long fishing village after the storm.

(Baonghean.vn) - As the storm passed, more than 30 households in Hung Long fishing village busily moved their boats out of their shelters to return to their normal lives.

As one of the few fishing villages along the Lam River where many households still live a nomadic life on the water, the lives of the villagers in Hamlet 16, Hung Long Commune (Hung Nguyen District) have been completely disrupted by Typhoon No. 10 in recent days.

Leading us to the fishing village's boat mooring area, Mr. Nguyen Van Dang, head of Hamlet 16, said: "As soon as we received information about the approaching storm, the commune and hamlet officials immediately notified the villagers to move their boats to safe shelters. The 30 households in the fishing hamlet were divided into two groups: Group 1 took shelter in the creek deep within the 42-meter dike and mangrove forest. Group 2 moored their boats in the stream near the village."

On the morning of September 17th, all the boats from Hung Long fishing village returned to the dock after Typhoon No. 10. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Life on the river is already hard, and it becomes even harder when the storm and flood season arrives. During the past two days of heavy rain and high water levels, women and children had to evacuate to the mainland to stay with relatives, while the men took turns watching the water day and night.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tho (35 years old) begins to weigh anchor to move the boat out of the sheltered area. Photo: Thanh Quynh

When the storm subsided, starting yesterday morning, people began weighing anchor and moving their boats out of the shelters.

By this morning (September 17th), all the boats had been brought back to the dock by the residents so they could return to their daily work. According to initial statistics, there has been no significant damage. Some families have already started returning to their daily routines.”

Mr. Nguyen Van Dang (village head) and the villagers inspect the boat system and assess the damage before resuming boat operations. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Standing beside the freshly caught fish, Mr. Nguyen Hong Lam, who has spent nearly 25 years navigating the waterways, said: "The recent floods have brought an abundance of fish from upstream to the river, so my family took advantage of the opportunity to cast our first net last night. We've already caught over 10 kilograms of fish. Some weigh almost 3 kilograms. Transporting sand and gravel across the river will take another 7 to 10 days, until the water calms down."

Mr. Tran Van Thong has begun preparing for new fishing trips. Photo: Thanh Quynh

It is known that Hung Long fishing village previously had 48 households, operating within a river transport cooperative. At that time, the water transport industry was quite developed. Over time, this work became less common, and some households were forced to migrate to the Central Highlands to live, while those who remained tried to make a living by fishing or transporting sand and gravel on the river.

However, these two jobs do not provide enough income for the households to cover their living expenses. Some households have 3-4 generations living crammed together on a single boat, posing many safety risks during the rainy season and floods.

The children were brought back to the boat after spending days with relatives on land, left there by their parents. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Given this situation, in 2014, the Hung Long commune and Hung Nguyen district authorities decided to plan for the allocation of land in the area based on valuation. However, after nearly three years, only 18 households have been allocated land, while the remaining 30 households are still living precariously on the river.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Lam's small joy from the catch of fish after the storm. Photo: Thanh Quynh.

The storm has passed, and the villagers have returned to their daily lives. But the rainy season and floods are still looming, and the worries about food, clothing, and shelter, as well as the safety of themselves and their loved ones, weigh heavily on the shoulders of the people in this small fishing village along the Lam River.

Thanh Quynh