Tears by the Nam Non River

People are homeless

Due to the influence of storm No. 3, on July 22-23, heavy rains combined with floodwaters from Laos in the western region of Nghe An caused the flood to rise rapidly, many houses and suspension bridges collapsed and were completely swept away.

Traveling 300 kilometers, we arrived at Xieng Tam village (My Ly border commune, Nghe An) on a day at the end of July, the aftermath of the historic flood caused by storm No. 3 was very heavy. Here, the prosperous, beautiful village on the riverbank was now devastated, desolate, and barren. Living along the Nam Non river, the people of Xieng Tam village said they had never witnessed such a terrible flood as this year.

Many people in Xieng Tam village were in pain when their houses were completely swept away by the flood. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

At the age of 102, with more than a century of experience in the mountains and forests of Nghe An, Mr. Vi Minh Chuc is still shocked when recalling the great flood that occurred on the night of July 22. The flood swept through in the blink of an eye, sweeping away houses, fields, and all the efforts of the people. Mr. Chuc said he had never seen his homeland so devastated.

For Mr. Chuc, it was not only a natural disaster, but also a nightmare and an unprecedented painful memory in his life. At the age of a giant tree in the mountains and forests of Nghe An border region, Mr. Chuc still trembles when recalling the sound of roaring water in the middle of the night, the cry for help in the midst of the pouring rain.

National Highway 16 through My Ly and Nhon Mai communes was seriously damaged and eroded. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

The "great flood" that swept through on the night of July 22 caused 54 houses in Xieng Tam village (My Ly commune) to collapse completely into the Nam Non river, sweeping away all the efforts that the people here had saved and built over their lives. Everywhere in the village, there were the painful cries of the people facing the devastation and destruction.

Ms. Vi Thi Hong (72 years old, living in Xieng Tam village) cried when all her property and house were swept away after the flood: “The flood rose so fast, my children pulled me to the main road, I didn’t have time to bring anything. When the flood receded, the house was just a wasteland full of rocks, tree branches, and rotten firewood. The machinery system and many blocks of wood were buried or swept away. There were no more chopsticks to eat with, and no more clothes to change.”

Ms. Vi Thi Hong (right, 72 years old, resident of Xieng Tam village) cried when all her property and house were swept away after the flood. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

Not far away, although the floodwaters have receded for 4-5 days, every day, Mr. Vong Van Thoai (born in 1983, resident of Xieng Tam village) still goes to the empty land where his wife and two children used to live. Mr. Thoai said: "On the night the flood swept away their house, his wife and children were lucky to return to their mother's hometown in Anh Son commune, otherwise, who knows what would have happened."

"Now our house and property have been completely swept away by the flood. My wife and I don't know when and where we will get the money to rebuild it as a shelter for our children," Thoai said bitterly.

Many houses along the Nam Non River were wiped out. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

The Nam Non River on Highway 16 still flows with its murky water, turning into a monster, sweeping the lives of dozens of Thai families in the border village of My Ly into "the open sky and the ground".

Mr. Luong Van Bay, Chairman of the People's Committee of My Ly Commune, said that the recent historic flood caused heavy damage to 388 households, including 201 houses that were completely swept away, leaving painful foundations and concrete pillars along the Nam Non River and Highway 16. There is no longer a home to return to, no longer a kitchen to cook dinner, and not even clothes to change. The once prosperous and peaceful village is now just a memory, tears are about to flow. How heartbreaking!

Humanity after the flood

At the moment when the people of Western Nghe An were in the most dire straits, charity groups and philanthropists, regardless of the hardship, waded through mud and crossed streams with the help of police and army forces... bringing the most essential necessities to "support" the people in the flood-hit areas.

Having just taken a break after delivering relief shipments to the flood victims in Xieng Tam village, Mr. Pham Quoc Khanh - Team Leader of Bach Ma, Vietnam Off-Road Pickup Truck Club said that immediately after receiving information about the damage in Western Nghe An, the team proactively contacted the affected localities to receive information and prepare relief goods. Upon hearing that traffic had been restored, the team immediately traveled 600 km from Hanoi to My Ly commune to promptly support the people.

Many relief groups gave gifts to the flood victims in Xieng Tam village. Photo: Ho Van Ngoi

The sky was getting dark, the rain was falling heavily in the forest, but the volunteer group of Dien Yen Green Army (Hung Chau commune, Nghe An) was still busy giving gifts to the flood victims in My Ly commune. Holding in his hand the gifts including mats, rice, instant noodles and candy given by the volunteer group, Mr. Vi Van Dien (Xieng Tam village) was moved and choked up: "My family and many people in the village had their houses swept away by the flood after just one night, now they are sleeping on the ground. These days, we have received practical gifts, solving the immediate hunger and cold. In the long term, we hope that the Party and State will pay attention and support us to have a place to live and stabilize our lives."

On the way from the flood center of My Ly, we met many volunteer groups urgently carrying relief goods inside, with their steps deep in the mud, they still tried to walk because in the heart of the flood, the people were waiting for them. Soldiers, police, youth union members, along with mass organizations and local people also quickly came to support the affected families to clean up the mud so that their lives could soon stabilize.

According to the Quick Report of the Standing Office of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention - Search and Rescue and Civil Defense of Nghe An province on July 31, the impact of storm No. 3 caused severe floods in the area, killing 4 people, injuring 4 people, destroying more than 7,400 houses and many construction works and traffic infrastructure. Total estimated damage is up to 3,550 billion VND.

According to statistics, the greatest damage was to people's property (VND 1,471 billion) and transport infrastructure (VND 1,390 billion). The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province issued an "Appeal to support people affected by floods", calling on the community to join hands to help people in flood-affected areas overcome difficulties.

Ho Van Ngoi

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nuoc-mat-ben-dong-nam-non-post806394.html