It seems to be the very culture and spirit of Vietnamese people that also dissipate the true enormity of the disaster that has unfolded in the north of Vietnam over the past few days. As we see the videos and photos being shared by news agencies, the people of the communities affected have already begun the clean-up of their neighborhoods. But it is the lack of talking that really shows the best of the culture in such challenging times.

As an expat living in the south of the country, I feel somewhat helpless as I sit in front of my screen watching the devastation from the storm. Whilst the videos and pictures have been hard to watch, I see a lack of comments from victims. They are too busy working hard, shoulder to shoulder with their communities to restore normal life for themselves and their neighbors.  

As we know, the coastline around Ha Long was the first region in Vietnam to experience the force of super typhoon Yagi on September 7. Boats, homes, and businesses took the full brunt of the storm.

As this typhoon headed north-west, it devastated places like Hai Phong and Hai Duong before lashing Hanoi later in the afternoon. 

Hanoi’s ancient trees outside the historic St. Joseph's Cathedral were just one of the country’s many culture casualties ripped from the ground by the force of the fierce storm.

More devastation occurred throughout Hanoi with homes, businesses, and whole communities crushed by the calamity. 

As the disaster progressed north-westerly, Phu Tho Province watched in horror as a local bridge collapsed, sending many to their death in the raging swollen Red River. 

As it moved toward Lao Cai and Sa Pa in Vietnam’s far north, it dumped unprecedented amounts of rain, exceeding 400mm in some areas.

This presented the region with its second disaster. The mountainous regions of the far north are littered with tributaries that service large waterways like the Red River. As the massive amounts of water in these tributaries became too much to handle, flooding, landslides, and total carnage wreaked havoc all the way from Fansipan Mountain to Thai Binh and Nam Dinh Provinces on the coast.

But it is the repetitive and grim reports of the rising numbers of deaths that just break my heart as an expat and community member in Vietnam. Already, the death toll and the number of missing people have exceeded 350 and many more are expected in the coming days. 

Whilst my heart is breaking for the victims in the north, I also have seen entire communities come together to help others, literally, weather the storm. People working side by side, communities stopping work to stand beside their fellow citizens, and people risking their lives to save a stranger are what I admire about Vietnamese culture.

I don’t have the ability to be there but I hope this message is read and shared amongst the thousands of people currently going through never-before seen challenges in some of these communities: every expat living in Vietnam admires your spirit and tenacity not to let this storm defeat you. 

We know the recovery will take time but, in the Vietnamese spirit, none will be wasted. Roofs will be replaced and schools will reopen. Hospitals will quietly continue to help the sick and injured and northern Vietnam will recover in the way that they know best, quietly and with a lot of hard work. 

As much as this is a devastating event, I am also proud to be part of a community and a culture that cares as they support each other through this tragedy in silence. I know that over the coming weeks there will be many sad stories shared but also there will be many stories of resilience and victory over the unbeatable. That is the Vietnam I love. 

We can also play our part in helping people get a roof over their heads, eat and find safe accommodation. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper has opened a special donation channel to support those who have lost everything in this storm. 

As expats, we can feel somewhat helpless when such extreme events occur, but we can be part of the community and part of the recovery by supporting those affected. I have been associated with Tuoi Tre for over seven years and I can assure you that all donations raised will get to those in need. 

I believe that the clouds will soon disappear and the autumn sun will surely deliver a new start for our brothers and sisters in the north. I hope that their recuperation is swift and that they will be able to resume their lives quickly, ensuring that this tragic disaster is soon written into the history books as a past event. 

And to all those that we lost, from every expat in Vietnam, our love and support go out to everyone affected. There are no words to lessen the pain but knowing that your pain is shared, I hope, will bring just a little comfort. Expats of Vietnam are thinking of you and will do what we can to support your convalescence.

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