On the morning of November 7, the coastal road in Sa Huynh was blanketed with sand and marine debris.

The entire stretch of Chau Me Beach - the area hit hardest by the storm surge - was littered with sheets of corrugated metal, wooden planks, and twisted steel frames.

Several brick walls were torn down, and seawater had reached deep into homes, leaving behind streaks of salt on the walls.

The once-busy seafood eateries now stood as skeletal frames, their signboards shattered, and chairs and tables buried in the sand.

Standing in disbelief beside the wreckage, Ho To from Chau Me neighborhood, eyes red with tears, said, “Last night, our family evacuated as advised by local authorities. We thought we’d just come back and clean up some sand in the morning, but the house was completely gone. Most of our belongings were swept away by the waves...”

His modest 40-square-meter home was completely destroyed by the storm surge.

He stood in silence, staring at the sea, where just the day before his courtyard for drying fish had stood - now reduced to wet, patchy sand.

“I’ve lived here for decades, through many storms, but I’ve never seen the sea rage like it did last night. My wife and I have lost everything,” he said, his voice trembling.

After just one night of Kalmaegi’s fierce surge, Chau Me neighborhood was left in ruins.

Many coastal homes were flattened. Where rows of seafood stalls once stood, only empty concrete foundations remained.

Along the beach, sheets of metal, wooden frames, and debris were scattered in the thick sand mixed with ocean refuse.

The once vibrant community had fallen silent, filled only with the sound of crashing waves and the sharp tang of sea salt in the air.

Residents said they had never witnessed such violent waves - the sea rose in fury, swallowing everything in its path and leaving behind a heart-wrenching morning of destruction.

Among the ruins, Nguyen Thi Le, a widow who ran a small seaside eatery, said tearfully, “I’ve lived here for 20 years, and I’ve never seen waves rise and hit the residential area with such force. My food stall was destroyed. I lost hundreds of millions of dong. My husband died years ago, and now I don’t know how I’ll rebuild the stall or raise my child.”

Nearby, Vo Van Thanh, owner of a chain of seafood restaurants, stood despondent.

Three dining huts and his house - located nearly 500 meters from the shoreline - were demolished by the waves. Tables, refrigerators, and machinery were completely ruined.

“We evacuated last night. This morning we returned to find this devastation. All our years of effort washed into the sea. The total damage must be over 2 billion VND,” he said, his gaze distant.

The surge not only destroyed restaurants and beachfront homes but also inundated streets and residential areas.

About five kilometers from Chau Me, Thach By 2 neighborhood also suffered from the storm surge.

On the night of November 6, authorities evacuated dozens of households in the area to Phu Thach Primary School No. 2 for safety.

When residents returned in the morning, they were stunned to find their homes ravaged by the sea.

Phan Thi Huong, a resident of Thach By 2, said with a shaking voice, “I’ve lived here for nearly 30 years, but I’ve never seen such a terrifying tidal surge. My home and shop were destroyed. The seawater swept away everything... there’s nothing left.”

She was thankful her family had evacuated in time. When she returned, she was speechless at the sight before her - nothing but ruins.

Only the family altar and a photo of her late husband remained intact, standing in their original spot in the middle of what used to be their home.

Nearby, Nguyen Son quietly shoveled sand as he stared at the remnant of his house’s foundation.

“We left to evacuate last night. This morning, I came back to find nothing but rubble. The waves took everything,” he sighed.

On Sa Huynh Beach, waves continued to crash against the shore. The storm has passed, but its consequences will linger for a long time.

The houses can be rebuilt, the shops reopened. But the memory of that harrowing night - of waves roaring in the dark - will be etched into the minds of Quang Ngai’s coastal residents for years to come.

Ha Nam