From late October to mid-November, Hoi An was repeatedly submerged, disrupting daily life and causing heavy losses for residents and businesses.
Le Thi Dong, 62, who owns an old house on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, said she had never seen floodwaters rise so high or linger for so long. “Our business keeps getting interrupted because we have to move things out every time the water comes,” she said.
Hoi An is repeatedly submerged from late October to mid-November (Photo by Ngo Linh)
For households who both live and trade in these timber-and-brick houses, the concern goes beyond property damage. Each flood accelerates the deterioration of fragile architectural elements. “My house stays underwater for days. The wooden beams and walls are easily damaged,” Dong said.
Duong Thanh Cuong, 70, owner of the 100-year-old house at 23 Tieu La Street, said his family fled twice in two weeks. Floodwaters in late October ruined most of their electronics and furniture.
The house’s timber ceiling, walls and pillars have steadily rotted, and the family now covers the tiled roof with tarpaulins each rainy season to prevent leaks.
Authorities have offered to subsidise 40-60 per cent of restoration costs, but Cuong said his family cannot afford the remaining share. “Each storm season makes the house worse, but we simply have no funds to repair it,” he said.
Cuong’s house shows extensive damage after prolonged flooding (Photo by Nam Ha)
After the latest floods, the Hoi An Centre for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation inspected all 1,155 heritage sites in the ancient town. Most remain structurally safe, but 30 show signs of deterioration, including nine severely damaged, 14 heavily damaged and seven with mild damage.
The centre has provided urgent support for one site and encouraged 19 homeowners to reinforce their properties themselves. For 10 sites with severe damage, it has recommended emergency restoration or temporary dismantling due to safety risks.
During an early-November inspection, Danang chairman Pham Duc An underscored the cultural and tourism value of Hoi An’s heritage sites. He instructed the culture department and related agencies to reassess each site’s condition and propose feasible conservation measures to protect them amid rising natural-disaster risks.
