After 3 days of flash floods, the villages in Tuong Duong have stains on the walls of houses, the water marks are still visible on the windows, giant rocks have fallen down the stream blocking the flow... After the flood has passed, property damage is evident, but the luckiest thing is that people's lives are guaranteed. This is thanks to the survival skills of each person, the good implementation of the "4 on-the-spot" work and the spirit of solidarity between the army and people to overcome the fierce flood...

All night crossing the flood

Sitting in front of the new washing machine, refrigerator, and water purifier that her family had just bought after years of saving, covered in mud, dirt, and rocks, Ms. Quang Thi Hai in Pung village, Luu Kien commune, her voice trembled: "Everything is gone, everything is damaged." And perhaps, many years later, she still cannot forget the terrifying memory of the night of September 30, when the flash flood suddenly came. At that time, the mother and her four children had just set out dinner when it started to rain heavily. Before the meal was finished, she heard the sound of rushing water pouring behind the house along with the sound of falling dirt and rocks. Immediately, she hugged her three children (the oldest is 10 years old, the second is 2 years old, and the youngest is only 1 year old, her husband is working in Ky Son district) and ran outside.

“As soon as I ran outside, all the windows were blown out by the pressure of water, soil, and rocks, and the rocks and soil rushed into the house. In just about 10 minutes, the entire 2-room house and all of our belongings were submerged in soil, rocks, and tree branches about 1.5 meters high. Luckily, at that time, I was quick-witted and took my child out without hesitation. Safety was paramount, so I did not try to get back in to get my belongings,” said Quang Thi Hai.

Ban Dua is a difficult village, in which there are only the elderly and children, while those of working age go to work far away. Therefore, when natural disasters occur, relocation and evacuation are not without difficulties. Anticipating these characteristics, the village committee as well as the local government always have scenarios and response plans when incidents occur. "When heavy rains occur with strong intensity, the village committee informs the people, asking people living along Mat stream to proactively go to their relatives' houses to take shelter safely. At the same time, forces are arranged to support people in emergency evacuation and report to the commune for rescue", said Mr. Vi Van Dan - Secretary of the Party Cell of Ban Dua.

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Pung village has 100 households living along the narrow stream, so when the flood from upstream flows in, it is often blocked and causes landslides. The backs of the houses of the households lean against the mountain, with many small streams leaking out. In the past few days, due to the prolonged rain, the small streams were also filled with water, so that afternoon, the disaster prevention and control force of Luu Kien commune went directly to the village to grasp the situation, propagate and mobilize people to be ready with plans, and immediately evacuate when an incident occurs. Therefore, when the flash flood came, 100 households with the support of the local government and the "4 on-site" force were able to evacuate in time, only 4 households had their houses damaged by rocks and soil.

Three days after the flash flood occurred, nearly 90 households in Dua village, Luong Minh commune still have not recovered from witnessing such a terrible natural disaster. Mr. Lo Van Khue (54 years old) was shocked and recounted: "It rained heavily and intensely for about 2 hours, thunder and lightning continuously, and only about 1 hour later, the flash flood came, water from upstream poured down continuously, the river water rose, flowed rapidly, and the soil and rocks collapsed as if they wanted to sweep away and bury everything. In just about 30 minutes, half of the households in the village were submerged in the flood."

Due to the terrain, landslides and floods are familiar "like daily meals", so most of the villagers have the skills and experience to "live together". Mrs. Lo Thi Minh's house has only 2 elderly people at home, they are single, her husband, Mr. Lo Van Hang, has a stroke and is bedridden, her house is on the riverbank so the risk is high. Therefore, in the afternoon, when she saw the sky was gray, full of water and the rain started to fall heavily, she asked someone to carry her husband to a relative's house at the beginning of the village, while she packed some essential belongings to bring with her.

“I arrived at my nephew’s house, had just finished dinner, and was getting ready to go to bed when the flash flood happened. Luckily, I had proactively evacuated in advance, otherwise I really didn’t know if he would live or die. I’m old and weak, and my grandfather had a stroke.” The next day, when the water receded, she asked someone to take him back home to clean up the house and deal with the consequences. However, when she heard the weather forecast that it would continue to rain heavily in Nghe An, she and her grandfather proactively went to her nephew’s house to take temporary shelter.

Staying at home with her young child, when seeing the floodwaters coming, Ms. Ngan Thi Hong (Dua village) quickly used a rope with a tensioner attached, one end fixed to the window, the other end down to a nearby high mound of earth and slid down the rope, finding a way to a higher place to take shelter. "Just reaching a safe high place, I turned back to see the stilt house shaking, the toilet was pushed into the river by the floodwaters. I was scared", Ms. Hong recalled. According to Ms. Hong, during the rainy season, she always prepares rechargeable lamps, flashlights, fully charged phone batteries and equipped with cables and tensioners to use when necessary.

On the evening of September 30, upon receiving reports from the inner villages, Comrade Vi Dinh Phuc - Chairman of the People's Committee of Luong Minh commune quickly contacted the village executive committee with the "order": Urgently evacuate people, ensure safety of life above all. At the same time, mobilize the local "4 on-site" forces to find the safest way to enter the isolated villages for rescue.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Hien - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district, one of the district officials who crossed the forest to Luong Minh commune on the night of September 30, immediately after receiving the report from the base, said: "When we arrived at Dua village and the primary school at night, we were really shocked to see the school submerged. The luckiest thing is that all the students and teachers were safe. That was thanks to the proactive spirit and experience in responding to natural disasters of the commune and village officials and the responsible teachers who stayed at the school and classroom, who were able to predict the situation and proactively evacuate the students."

Mobilization experience

"4 on-site" force

In the early morning of October 1, we, along with officers and soldiers of the Tuong Duong District Military Command, moved from Thach Giam town to Pung village, Luu Kien commune, one of the landslide and flooding spots after the flash flood on the night of September 30. When we arrived, the mud and soil mass over 1 meter high that had crashed into Ms. Quang Thi Hai's house had been almost completely cleared. "Thanks to the officers and soldiers of the District Military Command and the militia, police, and commune officials who helped clean up early, we have now basically pushed the dirt and rocks out," Ms. Hai said.

Late in the morning of October 1, with information that the road to the flood center of Luong Minh had been opened, we left Pung village and moved to Luong Minh commune. The 22 km distance from Thach Giam town to Luong Minh commune, the 2-wheel drive pickup truck only maintained an average speed, especially when going through sharp turns and landslides, the vehicle moved in sections. "Prepare to cross the suspension bridge, comrades, roll down the car windows," Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Xuan Dai - Commander of the Tuong Duong Military Command, rolled down the car windows and reminded the other members. Sitting in the car, driving slowly and carefully, feeling the car swaying along the bridge hanging over the muddy, turbulent riverbed, no one said a word.

After a distance of 15 km, reaching the beginning of Luong Minh commune, there was a muddy road, soil and rocks above the knee due to the flash flood. The car stopped. Standing on the mud above the knee, Mr. La Van Thai - Head of the Economic - Infrastructure Department of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district, soaked from the rain, waved his hand and said "the car can temporarily pass, but must follow the instructions to stay close to the inner edge of the mountainside". Having said that, he stood to one side, signaled the excavator driver to clear away some soil and rocks on the roadway, moved the car to the side so we could pass, and enter the Dua village.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Xuan Dai said: “The district mobilized excavators overnight to level the soil and rocks so that vehicles could pass this morning. At 12 o'clock last night, after receiving news of the flash flood in Dua village, the district leaders and the working group had to get out of their cars and risk climbing over the mud that was on the verge of collapsing to reach the people. Although they knew it was very dangerous, the presence of district officials at that time helped the people feel more secure when they had a support.”

Going about 3 km further, through many bends, soil, rocks, and water still flowed down from the mountain, occasionally small rocks swept away the soil and slid down the road. Arriving at the center of Dua village, where the flood came at night, soil and rocks buried nearly a dozen houses, the scene of devastation was still present. However, we did not see any complaints or lamentations. Instead, there was a busy scene of military forces, police, district and commune officials, village officials and people urgently cleaning up and overcoming the remnants of the fierce flood. Even though they had not slept all night, even though some people only had time to sleep for 5-10 minutes, when it was morning, the rain stopped, the water receded... they immediately started cleaning up and helping people overcome the situation.

At the same time, police and military forces were mobilized to the landslide sites to help people. The roads were not yet clear, so they had to walk and cross the weak landslide points to reach the households affected by the flash floods. Each person had a job, the forces stood shoulder to shoulder to support the people to overcome the devastation and loss. The mud was knee-deep, the soil and rocks were as high as a person, and were gradually cleared thanks to the joint efforts of the army and the people.

Mr. Vi Van Dan - Secretary of the Dua village Party Cell said: "From early morning, when the road was not yet open, the soldiers and police walked to join the villagers. Once there, they immediately started cleaning up. By 5:00 p.m. on October 1, the amount of soil and rock in the houses had been cleared. We, the villagers, are very grateful to you." In addition, the Youth Union, Farmers' Association, Women's Association, etc. also mobilized union members to promptly accompany and support the villagers in cleaning up the scene. Mr. Lo Van Thanh - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy Head of the Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Committee of Tuong Duong district, just joined the villagers in dredging mud and soil in the classrooms, and updated the situation of overcoming the consequences to the zalo management group. Mr. Thanh said that on the night of September 30, the district deployed district officials to directly go to the village to direct, and on the other hand, assigned departments and individuals to mobilize human resources from the district police, district military command and vehicles and machinery to clear the road and clean up mud.

The flood passed, the eyes were sunken, the faces were exhausted and tired after a sleepless night to escape the flood, but the officers and people here all felt reassured, lucky and happy because the flood came suddenly, the sweeping power was terrifying, but human lives were safe. Because "as long as there are people, there is property"... We believe that, with the spirit of solidarity, mutual love and support, with the efforts of the local people, the attention of all levels and sectors, when the flood passes, the lives of the people of Tuong Duong district will soon stabilize again.