In early August 2025, hundreds of houses in Xa Dung commune were swept away or buried by flash floods. Years of hard-earned property were destroyed in an instant, leaving hundreds of households living in constant anxiety, fearing landslides could strike at any moment.

The family of Vàng Sua Dua from Chống Sư A village (Xa Dung commune) was among those hardest hit. Still shaken by the memory of watching his wooden house collapse under the raging waters, Dua recalled: “At that moment, we could only rush my wife and children to higher ground. The house, rice stores, belongings-everything was carried away by the flood. Even now, thinking about it still sends chills down my spine.”

In the aftermath, many families were left with nothing. But amid the hardship, the swift response from Party committees and authorities at all levels, support from the central Government, and assistance from communities across the country helped restore hope for local residents. As soon as the floodwaters receded, the commune authorities coordinated with relevant agencies to survey and identify resettlement sites for households that had lost their homes or were living in areas at high risk of landslides. The priority was to quickly allocate safe residential land while ensuring long term protection from landslides and flash floods.

Nguyễn Văn Tiến, Vice Chairman of the Xa Dung commune People’s Committee, said: “We have drawn valuable lessons from the disaster. Resettlement sites must be located on higher ground with stable geology. At the same time, we carefully choose locations so residents do not have to move too far from their farmland and can continue their livelihoods.”

Surveys were conducted multiple times. Technical staff, commune officials, and local residents climbed hills, crossed streams, and measured every plot of land. Eventually, the resettlement sites were selected on gently sloping hills with firm ground, far from streams yet not too distant from the villagers’ former homes. These careful calculations ensure both safety and continuity in people’s daily lives.

Once the locations were finalized, funding support from the central Government and provinces and cities nationwide enabled Điện Biên province to quickly invest in infrastructure and prepare land so residents could rebuild their homes and lives. In Xa Dung commune, three post-disaster resettlement projects were developed in the villages of Háng Pu Xi, Háng Sông Trên, Chống Sư A and Từ Xa B, providing safe housing for more than 100 affected households.

Heavy machinery was mobilized to open roads, build drainage systems, construct clean water facilities, and extend the national power grid to each residential cluster. Once infrastructure was completed, residents began building new homes with assistance from armed forces and other units. Solid brick walls replaced fragile wooden structures, while bright red metal roofs now stand out against the mountains. The resettlement areas gradually took shape in an atmosphere of shared support and relief, becoming well-built and welcoming communities.

Chu Đình Hùng, Acting Director of the Project Management and Land Fund Development Board of Area 2, said: “We understand that every day of delay means another day people must live in temporary conditions. Therefore, the board worked closely with contractors, organizing round-the-clock construction with additional shifts to make the most of every hour, ensuring technical standards, safety, and aesthetics so the sites could be handed over to local authorities as soon as possible.”

After nearly two months of intensive construction, the resettlement area in Chống Sư A village was completed and ready to welcome residents to their new homes. The community is located near the inter-commune road, with synchronized infrastructure including concrete roads, the national power grid, and clean water facilities. More than 30 newly built houses now form a neat settlement amid the mountains, as residents gradually rebuild their lives after the devastating floods.

Five months after moving to their new home, the family of Vàng Sua Dua now enjoys life in a sturdy brick house built on higher ground, with a yard in front and enough land behind for growing vegetables and raising livestock. Dua shared: “This place is higher and more solid. Even during heavy rain, we no longer worry about landslides or rising streams washing away our home. The State has also built a preschool right in the resettlement area. Children have a place to study and sleep peacefully. We feel very reassured.”

For Vàng A Hù, also from Chống Sư A village, the greatest joy is peace of mind. “Before, whenever heavy rain lasted for days, I was extremely worried. Now we live on higher, stable ground, so I feel secure focusing on work and farming. With such care from the State, we must work even harder to improve our lives”, Hù said.

Alongside providing new housing, local authorities quickly introduced measures to restore production and help residents stabilize their livelihoods. Agricultural extension officers visited villages to guide residents on soil restoration and crop care, while support for seeds, materials, and livelihoods was implemented simultaneously. From fields and terraced plots once buried by debris, greenery is gradually returning.

After the disaster, many families have rebuilt their lives through their own diligent labor. In the evenings at the resettlement areas, smoke rises from kitchen fires while children laugh and play along newly completed concrete roads. These simple sights and sounds are perhaps the clearest signs that life has returned to a land once battered by devastating floods.

With decisive action from Party committees and authorities at all levels, together with the determination of each household, new and safer communities have taken shape after the disaster. From above, the bright red rooftops of the resettlement area stand as a symbol of the resilience and determination of the people of Xa Dung. A place once haunted by destructive floods has now become a peaceful home where residents can confidently build their future.

Life after the flash flood may not immediately become prosperous. But on solid foundations and beneath newly built roofs, hope has been rebuilt. Today, the people of Xa Dung have safe homes and renewed motivation to work, produce, and gradually improve their lives. And on land once weighed down by natural disaster, peace is slowly returning with promise and hope.