In addition to heavy damage to houses and the economy, storm No. 13 also paralyzed and interrupted the power and water systems in many localities in Gia Lai.
In Tuy Phuoc Dong commune and Quy Nhon Dong ward, the lack of domestic water for many days has caused many difficulties for people in living and rebuilding after the storm.
Ms. Phan Thi Nhu (76 years old, Vinh Quang 2 village, Tuy Phuoc Dong commune) said that the tap water was cut off from the morning of November 7 - right after the storm passed. The family has saved up but the amount of water is not enough for daily activities.
"In the past few days, the whole family has had to travel several kilometers to get water to use. Without water, cooking, laundry, and cleaning are very inconvenient," said Ms. Nhu.
Sharing the same situation, Ms. Le Phuong Oanh (37 years old, living in the same village) shared that on stormy and tidal nights, water flooded into her house, mud and soil were inundated but could not be cleaned because there was no water. "People just hope to have water soon to stabilize their lives," said Ms. Oanh.
According to the leader of Tuy Phuoc Dong Commune People's Committee, storm No. 13 has seriously disrupted the electricity and water systems in the area. Up to now, tap water has been basically restored but the flow is still weak, not enough to supply many households at the same time. Meanwhile, many areas still do not have stable electricity.
"Faced with this situation, the commune has mobilized water trucks to the villages to temporarily provide water to the people. In addition, benefactors also provide free water," said the leader of Tuy Phuoc Dong Commune People's Committee.
In Quy Nhon Dong ward, people in Nhon Ly area are also living in a lack of domestic water. After the storm, many households had to go to streams on the hillside to get water to use. Some people make their own drainage pipes to reduce water into canters and buckets of plastic to bring home for use.
"Without water, people have to go to a stream to get water for temporary use, holding it until the water system is re-supplied," said Mr. Huynh Van T. (46 years old, residing in Quy Nhon Dong ward).
The leader of Quy Nhon Dong Ward People's Committee said that up to now, the electricity and water systems have basically been restored, but are still not as stable as before. The power source is still unstable, causing water pumps to not be able to operate normally, and the water flows weakly, only meeting about 50% of the daily needs of the people.
