A sleepless night as people in Thanh Chuong race against the rain and floods.

Due to the influence of Typhoon Noru, from the night of September 27th to the night of September 28th, Thanh Chuong district experienced heavy rain accompanied by strong winds, causing flooding and localized isolation in many areas, especially low-lying and mountainous communes.

In particular, on the night of September 28th, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds lasted for many hours, causing water levels in rivers and streams to rise rapidly, resulting in flooding in several localities. Many villages and families had to flee the floods all night.

Floodwaters submerged houses overnight in Ngoc Lam commune. Photo: CTV

In Ngoc Lam commune, villages were submerged in water, and people used flashlights to help each other move belongings to higher ground to avoid flash floods. Mr. Vi Van Tuyen, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ngoc Lam commune, said that on the night of September 28, five villages in the commune were flooded.

The lower Bich Hao area of ​​Thanh Chuong district was also one of the first to be flooded. Mr. Nguyen Khanh Thanh, Secretary of the Party Committee of Thanh Xuan commune, said: To prevent flooding, at around 8 PM on September 28th, the commune relocated dozens of small traders from Dang Market. Currently, the Dang Market area is deeply flooded.

From 11 PM on September 28th to 3 AM on September 29th, in the communes of Thanh Hoa, Thanh My, Thanh Huong, Thanh Dong, Thanh Duc, Vo Liet, etc., many families had their houses and livestock sheds flooded by rapidly rising floodwaters, with water levels reaching 0.5 to 1 meter in many places. Households near rivers and streams were flooded first and most severely. Particularly, the family of Ms. Tran Thi Bac in Thanh Duc commune was hit by the floodwaters so quickly during the night that she didn't have time to move food and belongings; her house and property were completely submerged.

On the night of September 28th, residents and authorities in many localities of Thanh Chuong stayed up all night monitoring the flood situation, moving furniture in houses, evacuating people, and relocating property… Wherever they heard the sound of drums and gongs signaling the flood, people were ready to brave the floodwaters to help their fellow citizens.

Authorities in Dai Dong commune are helping residents move livestock through floodwaters. Photo: CTV.

Ms. Chu Thi Hao, Chairwoman of the Women's Association of Thanh Huong commune, said that from 11 PM on September 28th to nearly dawn on September 29th, the commune's functional forces divided into small groups and went to each hamlet to help families affected by flooding, evacuate the elderly and infirm, and assist people in transporting food and moving livestock and poultry to higher ground. According to Ms. Hao, the most difficult task amidst the heavy rain was moving the pig herds at night.

Last night, several localities experienced severe landslides, with many ancient trees falling. In addition, localized power outages in some areas, coupled with rapidly rising floodwaters, made evacuating people, moving property, and transporting livestock extremely difficult.

Authorities in Dai Dong commune are on standby to assist residents in escaping the floods. Photo: Contributor.

Mr. Tran Cong Thang from Thanh An commune said: “Last night, many families in An Phu hamlet, Thanh An commune, were affected by landslides that reached their homes, posing a great danger. It is still raining heavily, and there is a possibility of further landslides. Local residents are very worried, especially if the landslides occur at night.”

The remnants of Typhoon No. 4 caused severe damage to people in many localities in Thanh Chuong district. Large areas of crops and industrial plants were flooded and damaged, and many aquaculture areas, especially fish ponds, were completely destroyed.

On the night of September 28th, due to the rapid rise in water levels, many fish farmers were caught off guard. Mr. Phan Van Bay, from Dong Hoa hamlet, Thanh Hoa commune, said that last night his family had to helplessly watch as water flooded their 3.3-hectare fish pond, estimating that over 4 tons of fish were swept away by the floodwaters.

On the night of September 28th, Mr. Trinh Van Nha, Chairman of Thanh Chuong district, promptly arrived at the scene along with the people, quickly directing flood prevention and control efforts in the localities. He requested functional forces and the political system from the district to the grassroots level to focus on disaster prevention, search and rescue, and relief according to the "four on-the-spot" principle.

Local authorities prioritize supporting families affected by flooding and landslides, relocating property, and evacuating people to safe areas; deploying forces to monitor vulnerable points, especially reservoirs, dams, and roads that are flooded or have strong currents, and promptly reporting any unusual incidents to the district People's Committee for assistance. At the same time, people should proactively plan to ensure the safety of their lives and property, avoiding complacency...

Local authorities prioritize the elderly, the sick, and young children during flood evacuations. Photo: CTV

Currently, heavy rain continues in Thanh Chuong district, causing the water levels of the Lam, Giang, Gang, Ro, and Trai rivers, along with the system of streams and ravines, to rise rapidly, posing a risk of widespread flooding and flash floods. The Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Rescue at all levels, along with the police and militia forces of the localities, have organized emergency response teams and are coordinating with the people to combat the floods at all times.

Huy Thu