As flooding becomes increasingly unpredictable, building safe shelters and strengthening disaster preparedness have emerged as urgent priorities in areas frequently affected by natural disasters.

Comrade Luong Nguyen Minh Triet, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, together with the working delegation inspecting repairs to the Ngu Ham Thuy salinity prevention embankment.

Residents were delighted when the community house combined with flood shelter in An Nien residential quarter, Tuy Hoa Ward, was inaugurated.

Understanding local people's need for a safe place to shelter during the storm coupled with flood season, Mr. Nguyen Liem, aged 70, from Hoa Xuan Commune, voluntarily donated 450 square metres of family land for the construction of a community flood shelter. Looking at the solid two-storey building constructed on the donated land, Mr. Liem said emotionally: “During last year's floods, the entire neighbourhood was submerged, and there was no multi-storey building where people could take shelter. I am very pleased that residents now have a safe place to stay.”

In flood-prone Hoa Thinh Commune, 13 flood-resilient community shelters have been completed. Of these, 12 were funded by the province and one through socialised funding. The commune has also equipped each village with two boats to help evacuate residents when flooding occurs.

Mr. Phuong Van Lanh, Secretary of the Hoa Thinh Commune Party Committee, said: “All villages in the commune now have places for residents to evacuate during severe flooding. Having experienced the floods in late 2025, residents will feel less anxious with these permanent shelters are available, while local authorities will be much better prepared.”

According to the Department of Construction, 100 State-funded flood shelters, with total investment exceeding 170 billion VND, are nearing completion across 27 communes and wards province-wide. To date, 80 shelters have been handed over to local authorities for management, while around 20 others are being prepared for handover, providing safe places for residents to shelter during storms alongside floods.

From fleeing floods to preparing ahead

Tuy An Bac Commune is one of the areas in the provincial eastern part frequently hit hard by heavy rain and flooding. This year, even before the rainy season began, households took the initiative to seal rice in plastic bags and store it above ground, while packing clothing and essential supplies in case evacuation becomes necessary.

The flood-resilient community shelter being completed in Tuy Hoa Ward.

According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Quang, Vice Chairman of the Tuy An Bac Commune People's Committee, the commune's disaster prevention and response task force has been consolidated, with 159 members, including 15 in each village. The Commune Military Command has organised three teams comprising 17 officers together with soldiers, ready to conduct search and rescue operations. Local authorities are focusing on early prevention, preparing personnel, equipment combined with practical response plans, while providing guidance on disaster preparedness to minimise damage, with priority given to evacuating residents from hazardous areas.

In Ea Han Village, Yang Mao Commune, memories of the panic during the November 2025 floods have also prompted residents to prepare more thoroughly for this year's rainy season. Mr. Duong Trinh Minh said that this year, early information and guidance from local officials had raised residents' awareness as well as encouraged them to move to safety when heavy rain was forecast.

According to the Yang Mao Commune People's Committee, two flood-resilient community shelters, funded by the province and built in Ha Nam alongside Ea Han villages, are nearing completion. These facilities will help establish a broader network of shelters and strengthen disaster preparedness amid increasingly complex along with unpredictable rainfall and flooding.

Translated by KHUONG THAO