The Flood Ruthlessly Swallowed My Home

▲Huang Lixia stood in front of her damaged house, helpless.

Huang Lixia, 46 years old, lives in a village in Changpuzi Miao and Dong Township, Suining County, Shaoyang City, Hunan Province, China. She has a happy family. Her husband and she cultivate three mu (approximately 2,000 square meters) of land with an annual income of RMB40,000-50,000. After graduation from a junior college, her older son is working in Shenzhen now. Her younger son is studying at a higher vocational school and will graduate next year. However, a sudden rainstorm drove Huang Lixia to her wits' end.

On June 9, 2019, a rainstorm swept through her village. When it rained, her husband and she were growing vegetables. Their parents went out to sell vegetables. She planned to sell vegetables afterwards. However, the rain became heavier and heavier. She dared not go out. When she returned home, she found her wooden house soaked in the water. She went in and out to move her daily necessities out as many as possible.

After the rainstorm lasted for over three hours, the mud on the mountain together the rain broke into her house in full fury. And she was caught unprepared. Her house, together with her hope, was shattered suddenly. She could no longer enter her house to save daily necessities. She helplessly stood in her relatives' house next door and watched the rain and the mud burying her house. "My mind went blank." When recalling what happened on the day, Huang Lixia could not help crying.

▲Huang Lixia was tidying up the room buried in mud.

The heavy rain and the mud destroyed all the furniture and buried my house. After the rain stopped, Huang Lixia dug out clothes. She washed and dried the good clothes and threw away the bad ones. Many things were damaged.

The rainstorm not only destroyed her home, but also wasted all her efforts for a good harvest. The three mu of land was the main source of income for the family. Her husband and she grew vegetables and rice. They worked hard on the three mu of land to support the study of the two sons and keep the pot boiling. Now, the rice is flooded. Their hard work is in vain.

Huang Lixia's live in their relative's house temporarily. Her relatives have gone out to work, so their house is vacant. Otherwise, the house cannot accommodate the two families of nine people in total. Looking at the mud, Huang Lixia said, "I've no idea how to clean it up. I feel helpless. What I want to do most now is to clean up my house."

According to the local weather forecast, Huang Lixia's village will suffer from a new round of rainfall. The village has been severely damaged. The situation of Huang Lixia and other villagers is not optimistic.

(Written by Addie Liao)