People in flood-prone areas feel more secure with floating houses

Truong Thanh Duan, Chairman of Tan Hoa Commune People's Committee said that the commune had more than 700 households with over 3,000 people. The commune now had 620 floating houses, so people felt more secure when a flood season came, he said.

For generations, the people of Tan Hoa commune have been "proud" to say that the commune is the most vulnerable to flood in Vietnam. 

Dinh Van Thang,80 years old, of Tan Hoa commune, said that floods hit the commune every year.

“When it rains, the flood comes. The floodwater level is higher than roofs,” he said.

“Sometimes, roofs were two meters lower than the flood water level. Is there any place in the country seeing such serious floods?” Thang recalled.

As Tan Hoa Commune is located in the middle of a valley surrounded by limestone mountains. When it rains heavily from upstream, the village is quickly flooded. Floods claimed so many deaths. Floods even occurred four-five times a year. Flood water did not recede for a whole month, damaging trees and crops.

The people of Tan Hoa have to "live together with the flood". Children at the age of 4 and 5 already know how to swim in the flood. Wooden houses are made higher than other areas and have beams to avoid floods. On the tiled roof, two gables are carved as emergency exits. When the floodwater reached the roof, people exited at the gable gate, getting off the boat and swimming up the mountain.

From the second half of July and early August (lunar calendar), people in Tan Hoa prepare to cope with floods. People prepare rice, food, firewood and other essentials to use for a month. Many families go to the forest to cut large banana trees and bring them back to build rafts to travel during floods. Higher locations at the foot of the mountain were chosen as a place to build a camp and raise buffaloes, cows and livestock during the floods.

Stay safe in big floods

From the rafts made of banana and forest trees, the people of Tan Hoa have created a type of "flood proof house".

Cao Thanh Da, an elderly person in the commune, said that since 2010, some families used buckets and buoys to make floating houses.

Floating houses are designed and built quite firmly. A floating house has an area of ​​over 20 sq.m depending on the economic conditions of each family. When the floodwater is high, the house will float thanks to the plastic buckets below. Many families also build large floating houses with bedrooms and even a shop. When there was no flood, the house was used as a grocery store. When the flood came, it also became a shelter for the whole family and s store for others. The floating house is usually located in the front yard of the house, close to the big house.

Cao Ngoc Chau, a resident in the commune said that a floating house costs from VND 30 to 60 million. "With the floating houses, people actively cope with flood,” Chau explained.

During the heavy rains at the end of 2020, the whole Tan Hoa commune was like a sea. Floodwater rose 4-6 meters high, over the roofs of large houses. 

Truong Van Thanh, a resident in Co Liem village, Tan Hoa commune sat in a floating house looking out and waiting for the flood. 

A few days ago, the torrential rain caused the water level in streams to rise.

Afraid of sudden floodwater in the night, he packed all his belongings and moved to a dry place. Particularly for livestock and poultry, Thanh put on a truck and drive them to a camp on the mountain. As for clothes, medicine, necessities and firewood, he stored in a floating house to avoid floods. 

“If a flood comes, children were taken to the camp in the mountain. We still have a place to live as usual. So now, no matter how high the flood is," he said.

The floating house of Truong Xuan Tam in Yen Tho village, Tan Hoa commune is floating under the floodwater, more than 4m above the ground. 

"The day before, seeing that it was raining heavily and flood could happen, my family brought valuable items to the floating house and prepared food," Tam said.

To live comfortably, he made another raft, then put his motorbike, electric bicycle, desks and tables on it “We are not afraid of flood anymore. Yesterday, some people in the village even came here by boat to drink tea."

The Tan Hoa commune government included the task of natural disaster prevention in its annual resolution. Commune leaders have surveyed the areas at the foot of mountains and then invested in making a solid foundation at which people could build shelters. In addition, there are areas for livestock and poultry. 

Dinh Van Linh, Vice-chairman of Minh Hoa District People's Committee said that in the past, Tan Hoa was the place to worry about most in the district when it rains and floods. 

Now, thanks to floating houses and proactive flood prevention, people feel secure much. 

“In recent years, floating houses have brought into play their effects, supporting people to prevent natural disasters, especially floods. Some poor households and difficult families are supported by the government to make floating houses. We also call on people and businesses to support them," Linh added.