By Tuesday noon, three days after typhoon Yagi made landfall in northern Vietnam's coast, floodwaters had receded, revealing the extent of the damage in Lao Cai City, 50 km from Sa Pa tourist town. Streets along the river and low-lying areas were strewn with trash, mud, and items swept away by the deluge.
Ham Nghi Street in Kim Tan Ward, nearly one kilometer long, was particularly affected, covered in debris from damaged goods and belongings.
Ham Nghi, one of Lao Cai's bustling central streets lined with shops, saw significant damage as floodwaters carried items from stores into the streets.
A family running a sanitation equipment store was seen dragging their flood-soaked goods outside to clean and assess the losses.
The floods struck Lao Cai early Monday morning, submerging more than 4,600 houses across the province, with Lao Cai City hardest hit, accounting for over 1,600 of the flooded homes. Many residents were forced to evacuate, only returning home on Tuesday morning.
Electric scooters and motorcycles caked in mud were lined up on sidewalks as business owners began cleaning them.
Quang Khai, who has lived on Ham Nghi Street for 18 years, noted that despite the area's annual flooding, he had never witnessed water levels as high as 2.5 meters.
His family's house and a wood workshop were inundated, causing an estimated loss of VND500 million (US$20,340).
Yagi entered Vietnam's waters on Sept. 3 and intensified into a super typhoon two days later, with maximum sustained winds reaching 201 kph.
It is the most powerful storm in Asia this year and the strongest to hit Vietnam in three decades.
On Cao Ba Quat Street, residents began cleaning and inspecting their belongings after more than a day of evacuation. Many household items and decorations were damaged by the floodwaters.
Fifteen officers and soldiers from the Lao Cai International Border Guard Station were mobilized to assist residents on Cao Ba Quat Street, where mud was as deep as 40 cm in some areas. They focused on clearing trash and unclogging drains to restore water flow.
A border guard is seen helping a local man clean a TV stand before moving on to scrub floors and walls. Families on riverside Cao Ba Quat and An Duong Vuong streets experienced the worst of the flooding, with water reaching up to 3 meters. Most people could only save themselves, leaving most belongings on the first floors ruined.
Captain Nguyen Viet Dung from the Lao Cai International Border Guard Station, three km from Cao Ba Quat Street, reported that the accumulated mud was substantial and might take three to four days to clear completely.
In addition to Cao Ba Quat, 15 soldiers were deployed to Pham Van Xao Street to assist with cleanup efforts.
About 10 kilometers from Lao Cai City, more than 30 officers and soldiers were dispatched to Son Dong Village in Quang Kim Commune of Bat Xat District to remove mud and help dozens of families recover from the flood's devastation.
Lieutenant Colonel Hoang The Ha, Political Commissar of the Bat Xat Border Guard Station, said that by early Tuesday afternoon, soldiers had reached the households deep within the hamlet.
Two days earlier, the area had been isolated, with floodwaters rising 7-8 meters above the average stream level. In the days leading up to this, the border guards had managed to evacuate 30 high-risk families and secure 100 tons of rice.
Ha estimated that it would take about three days to complete support for the 75 families in Son Dong Village. Afterward, the unit plans to continue flood recovery efforts in other areas of the commune. "We will not leave until all the residents are fully assisted," he said.
