Pham Van Lenh, 35, and his neighbors have been wiping away mud for three days since the flood receded, but the cleanup is still incomplete.

On the afternoon of 23/11, roads in Dong Hoa ward were strewn with debris and mud after the flood. Residents piled the waste into mounds along the roadsides to clear paths.

Dong Hoa ward, similar to Hoa Thinh commune, has a low-lying basin terrain located in the river's lower reaches, which left it inundated for days.

The severe floods across the South Central Coast region resulted in 91 deaths. Dak Lak was the most affected province with 63 fatalities, followed by Khanh Hoa with 15, Gia Lai with three, Da Nang and Hue with two each, and Quang Tri with one.

Total economic damage is estimated at 13.078 billion dong. Dak Lak alone incurred over 5.300 billion dong in damages, Khanh Hoa 5.000 billion, Lam Dong nearly 1.100 billion, Gia Lai 1.000 billion, and Quang Ngai 650 billion.

Nearby, a mechanical workshop lay submerged with machinery. The floodwaters swept away a corner of the workshop, exposing its foundations.

Pham Phu, a resident of Dong Hoa ward, helped his family wash belongings after the flood. Next door, the home of Diep Ai Lan, 68, suffered significant damage, with walls collapsing and her altar and incense burner destroyed by the floodwaters.

Tay Hoa commune residents carry flood-soaked rice bags to dry.

Trinh Dinh Dung, 57, from Hoi Tan village, Tay Hoa commune, temporarily dried rice on the road. He reported that his house was severely flooded, and 30 tons of rice stored inside were submerged and have now sprouted, causing nearly 200 million dong in damages.

A severely damaged oto after the flood is being towed for repairs.

About 5 km away, Nguyen Ngoc Chi, 33, from Hoi Cu village, Tay Hoa commune, cleaned his rice paper workshop. The floodwaters collapsed the roof and damaged all machinery, rice, and flour. After seven years in the business, the workshop owner is left with virtually nothing.

In Canh Phuoc village, Tay Hoa commune, Nguyen Han, 66, had relatives move 50 bags of wet rice to a neighbor's house to clean her own home. She stated that the floodwaters rose almost to the roof, forcing six family members to temporarily shelter in a two-story house across the street.

Nguyen Trong Hien, 46, also from Canh Phuoc village, Tay Hoa commune, cleaned his house with his wife after it was submerged 2 m deep for five days. Two tons of the family's rice were wet; Hien laid them out to dry in the living room. He noted that villagers urgently need assistance with rice, water, and blankets.

At Hoa Thinh Primary School, Phu Huu campus, teachers and soldiers collected and cleaned numerous books, desks, chairs, and learning materials in preparation for students' return.

On the afternoon of 23/11, four days after the flood, many areas in Dong Hoa ward remained submerged.

By Thanh Tung - Tran Hoa