A heartbreaking moment shows the harsh lives of Da Nang residents during days of severe flooding.
In recent days, the family of Mrs. My (formerly from Quang Nam Province, now Dai Loc Commune, Da Nang City) has gone through unforgettable hours as their small one-story house was heavily flooded.
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Her family of five includes her and her husband, her parents-in-law, and their 4-year-old daughter. Speaking to VietNamNet, Mrs. My said prolonged heavy rain caused severe flooding in their area. Floodwater rushed into their home at around 10 a.m. on October 27. By that afternoon, the water had risen to an adult’s waist.
With the house submerged and power cut off, the family struggled.
When the floodwater poured in, each family member took on a task. Mrs. My looked after their young daughter while her husband and parents-in-law lifted furniture to higher places to avoid damage.
Around 3 p.m. the same day, while everyone was still busy moving belongings, she hurried into the kitchen to prepare a quick dinner. With no other choice, she had to place her 4-year-old daughter in a large plastic basin floating on the water so she could free her hands to cook.
“Having a small child, I had to prepare food so she had something to eat. She was well-behaved, understood the situation, and sat quietly in the basin so I could work. My husband was nearby cleaning and also helped watch her. Even though I was cooking, I still watched her very carefully—the basin was always right next to me,” Mrs. My said.
With a gas stove and some leftover food supplies, she quickly cooked a few simple dishes for the family. Their meal that evening consisted of boiled sweet potato leaves with sesame salt and peanut salt. There was only a small piece of meat left in the house, which she cooked separately for her daughter.
“Our house is a small one-story home with a mezzanine. That evening, we sat on the mezzanine eating dinner by dim flashlight,” she recalled.
As night fell, the water continued to rise, and the family decided to evacuate to a neighbor’s house. With floodwater up to an adult’s stomach, she once again put her daughter in the large plastic basin and pushed her across the floodwater to safety.
“By late that night, the water had risen to an adult’s neck. Luckily, we made it to the neighbor’s house in time. Their house is higher, so it was safer. Both families—a total of ten people—stayed together,” she shared.
On October 28, looking from the neighbor’s house, she could see only the roof of her one-story home above the floodwater. She knew that most of their belongings would be badly damaged, but in an emergency situation, her family had to prioritize safety.
Mrs. My has lived in Dai Loc as a daughter-in-law for five years, but this is the first time she has witnessed such severe flooding. She hopes the water will recede soon so her family and others in the area can begin to recover.