As the heavy downpour swept through the city recently, a resident of a village house in Tai Po recounted how a quiet evening turned into chaos as muddy waters infiltrated his home -- requiring seven hours to clean up.
The poster shared a photograph on the social media platform Threads, showing the floor of their residence inundated with a combination of mud and discharged sewage.
"It's still a mess even though I spent seven hours cleaning up, the fridge, washing machine, and cabinets are all damaged," the poster wrote.
In the comment section, he revealed that the incident occurred near the Lam Tsuen area, where a total of three people worked to clean up the house.
Experience from online community
The post has drawn online attention, with several neighboring residents sharing their own flooding experiences in Tai Po and posting photos of their water-damaged homes.
A commenter recounted a similar experience from two years ago during a Black rainstorm warning, describing how rainwater surged into their home, causing items to float around.
"It is frustrating to see how the home is being flooded," the commenter noted, advising the poster to negotiate with the landlord for a month's rent reduction and consider moving to a higher floor.
Meanwhile, other commenters offered practical tips, such as using a submersible pump, temporary waterproof barriers or sandbags for future heavy rains.
Many online users expressed their sympathy, raising alarms about the potential risk for pets and downed electrical lines.
Move to Fanling
In light of the poster's experience, some users emphasized the importance of choosing higher ground when living in village houses, especially given Tai Po's reputation for heavy rain.
Several even invited the poster to move to Fanling, where residents reported no significant issues during past floods, black rainstorm signals, or even during Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.
