Nghe An students fight floods in Hue

Many areas in Hue City are deeply submerged in floodwater. Photo: Gia Bao

Information from authorities, due to prolonged rain along with flood discharge from reservoirshydroelectricThe upstream of the Perfume River on October 10 caused Hue City and many districts in Thua Thien Hue province to be submerged in water.

During this flood, most of the wards of Hue City were heavily flooded. Many central streets of Hue City and some wards were flooded from 1.5 to 3 meters deep, especially the area north of the Perfume River.

The daily life of people and students from far away provinces has been disrupted, facing many difficulties and shortages. Hundreds of households with thousands of people and a large number of students in wards and communes have had torelocatefrom low-lying areas to safety

Floodwaters at Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry when they first flooded. Photo: Black Sea

Phan Thi Tham is from Nghia Dan district.studentA second year student at the University of Agriculture and Forestry, Tham said the floodwaters rose so quickly that Phan Chu Trinh Street, where she was staying, was flooded about 1.5 meters deep, and her room was waist-deep. As soon as the water level rose, Tham packed her belongings and moved to her classmate's house on Hung Vuong Street for shelter.

“I was surprised because this was the first time I witnessed flooding in Hue. Water was everywhere, many students could not stay in their rented rooms and had to find somewhere to move. Luckily, I was able to move to a friend’s house so it was less difficult,” Tham shared.

Rising floodwaters forced many households and students to relocate. Photo: Black Sea

For Le Van Bien, a second-year student at the University of Agriculture and Forestry from Thanh Chuong district, the floods in Hue were terrifying. Normally, Bien stays on Thai Phien street, near the school on the North bank, but when the flood came, he moved to An Cuu street on the South bank to stay.

Bien confided: “The friends who stay in the school can go to the second floor, but those of us who stay outside have to move to other places, because the area around the University of Agriculture and Forestry is often flooded during flood season. I came to stay with my friends, but the room here was also flooded, so it was quite difficult to arrange and move furniture.”

Scene of a flooded student dormitory in Hue, Nghe An - Ha Tinh. Photo: Nguyen Binh

Living in the flood zone, Nghe An students in Hue have to "suffer" with the people amid countless difficulties and shortages. The streets are flooded, many houses are deeply submerged, most of the students have to huddle in rented rooms and rows of rented houses. When the water rises, they keep an eye on the beds, furniture, and vehicles. Even in their sleep, they are restless and worried about the flood.

In recent days, many areas in Hue city have lost power, making daily life even more difficult, especially cooking and communication.

Nguyen Huu Tu, former President of the Nghe An Student Association in Hue, said that due to the prolonged power outage, his phone could not be charged, making it very difficult to contact and reach fellow students in the deeply flooded areas on the North bank.

Besides, the price hike of some essential items such as food, especially vegetables, makes many students "cry out".

Nguyen Thi Huyen, from Yen Thanh district, a second-year student at the University of Foreign Languages, shared: Normally, a bunch of water spinach costs only 3,000 - 4,000 VND, but now due to the flood, it costs 24,000 - 25,000 VND. Some other vegetables and fruits have doubled or tripled in price. The high prices also make students' already tight budgets during the flood season even more difficult.

Many areas have seen rising floodwaters and power outages, forcing students to huddle in dormitories and multi-story buildings. Photo: Gia Bao

Floodwaters in Hue reached their peak on October 11 and 12. Universities in Hue City simultaneously let students take time off from school and coordinated with relevant departments to organize flood prevention, support accommodation, food and provisions for students.

The University of Education has directed the opening of classrooms to welcome students living in flooded areas to avoid the flood; at the same time, calling for the joint help of teachers in the school and benefactors to help them get through the flood season safely. The University of Agriculture and Forestry was flooded and had no electricity, the school had students stay on the 2nd floor, running generators for students to light up and charge their phones, and providing some necessary necessities....

Students use doors as rafts to travel through floods in Hue. Photo: Gia Bao

In times of trouble, promoting the spirit of solidarity and overcoming difficulties, Nghe An students in Hue not only mobilized themselves to "live with the flood" but also organized a number of activities, such as supporting and introducing parents and new students to find accommodation; helping each other move their belongings; letting students in deeply flooded areas "share" rooms; supporting and helping people flee the flood...

Some Nghe An students participating in volunteer clubs have actively worked during the floods to help people and students in difficult circumstances.

Nguyen Van Khanh, a student at the University of Agriculture and Forestry from Thanh Chuong, said: The floodwaters in Hue have receded. By the end of the night of October 13, many areas in Hue had been cleared of floodwaters and had electricity. During the water receding process, Nghe An students in the wards coordinated with local residents to clean up, wash houses, boarding rooms, and dispose of trash and mud.

Students from Nghe An and Ha Tinh join the school in flood prevention. Photo: Nguyen Binh

It is known that in Hue City, there are currently thousands of Nghe An students studying at many different universities such as Pedagogy, Agriculture and Forestry, Hue Medicine, Foreign Languages, Economics, Law... Because Hue City is often flooded every year, Nghe An students studying here are more or less familiar with the scene of flooding, cleaning rooms, running from floods... However, this is a historic flood in more than two decades in Hue. The flood situation in Thua Thien Hue is still complicated, the flood water has receded, Nghe An students in Hue are trying to coordinate with the people and local authorities to overcome the consequences of natural disasters to stabilize their lives and studies.