After storm No. 4 made landfall in Quang Tri province on September 19, heavy rain fell in the evening of the same day, but fortunately it stopped by evening. Thanks to that, the water in the rivers and streams began to recede, the hills that were full of water returned to normal, so on September 20, the people who were mobilized by the local authorities to evacuate returned home.
Ho Van Chuan's family, residing in Xa Dung village (Huong Viet commune, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province), was among those evacuated on the afternoon of September 19. Mr. Chuan said that the place where he lives had experienced a terrible landslide that killed many people, so now everyone is worried whenever they hear about storms.
The terrible landslide occurred on the afternoon of October 17, 2020, when families in Xa Dung village were preparing for dinner, when they heard a loud explosion in the mountain range behind the village. Rocks, soil, and trees suddenly slid down, no one had time to react. Mr. Chuan's house was flooded with mud and soil, 1.5 meters deep, fortunately his whole family escaped, crawled out of the house and ran towards the head of the village.
This time, hearing that storm number 4 would cause heavy rain, the three members of Mr. Chuan's family did not dare to sleep at night, and the sound of heavy rain made them even more worried. On the afternoon of September 19, when the border guards, police and Huong Viet commune came to inform them that heavy rain was forecast after the storm hit and that the family needed to evacuate, Mr. Chuan and his wife and children immediately nodded in agreement. The three were taken to the house of Mr. Ho Van Doan in the same village and stayed there.
“The whole family was worried, every now and then we would run out to look at the landslide and then go back in, then the border guards, police and the commune came and told us to evacuate immediately. We complied, went to stay at a neighbor’s house for one night, the next day there was an announcement that it was safe, and the whole family happily returned,” said Mr. Chuan.
Lieutenant colonel Nguyen Quang Dai - Field Working Team of Huong Lap Border Guard Station in Huong Viet Commune said that during storm No. 4, 5 households with 15 people were evacuated in Huong Viet Commune. Based on weather developments and forecasts, the forces came up with an evacuation plan, and the people immediately complied.
For example, the family of Mrs. Le Thi Phi (Xa Dung village) was the first to be evacuated because they were at risk of being affected by flash floods. When the mobilization came, there was a lot of newly harvested rice in her house. The forces rolled up their sleeves, scooped the rice into bags and transported it to a dry place, with Mrs. Phi's family of four following along.
When the storm passed, the border guards, police, and military forces in the commune came to help Mrs. Phi transport rice and evacuated items home. Mrs. Phi thanked them profusely.
Lieutenant colonel Ho Le Luan, Political Commissar of Huong Lap Border Guard Station, said that due to the impact of storm No. 4, the unit coordinated with other forces to evacuate many households in the two communes of Huong Viet and Huong Lap to prevent landslides and flash floods. Fortunately, the rain and wind did not cause any damage, so the evacuated people have returned home.
"Local people are very compliant with the direction of the forces in flood and storm prevention" - Lieutenant colonel Ho Le Luan said.
