Flash floods force mass evacuations
ALMOST 40,000 HIT BY FIVE DAYS OF RAIN
- Published: 29/08/2010 at 04:25 AM
- Newspaper section: News
Over 36,000 people in 220 villages have been hit by floods triggered by heavy rainfall over the past five days, says the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.
TREE SHELTER: Pak Uttama climbs up a tamarind tree to escape floods which hit Ban Pha Mu in Rong Kwang district, Phrae. PHOTO: TAWEESAK SUKASEM
The four hardest-hit provinces are Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Uttaradit, and Lamphun, the department said in its daily report yesterday.
Despite the heavy rains, the average water storage level at the country's major dams was at 53% capacity, which is lower than last year's mark, the department said.
The flooding situation had worsened in many provinces due to continuous heavy rains from Friday night until yesterday morning.
The Meteorological Department has also warned about an intense trough of low pressure in the North and Northeast that could result in heavy rains and flooding in certain areas.
DINNER TIME: A man shows a fish he has caught in Muang district, Mukdahan. PHOTO: WALLAPA TRIPRAPAKORN
In the North, a large number of people living in Mae Hong Son's Muang district were forced to evacuate early yesterday morning due to flash floods following overnight heavy rains in the province.
In Uttaradit, the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office was preparing for possible flash floods in seven districts that have been inundated frequently during the rainy season.
Lampang governor Supphakij Boonyaritthiphong said the province had declared eight of its 13 districts disaster zones due to the damage wrought by flooding.
Rescue workers and volunteers have been deployed to affected areas to help villagers evacuate and provide them with food, drinking water, and shelter.
NO ESCAPE: Wannaporn Prompaibul moves her belongings to a safe place in the house after water level rises in Phachi district in Ayutthaya. PHOTO: SUNTHON PONGPAO
About 300 families in Ayutthaya's Phachi district, which is on one of the highest upland plains in the central province, were affected by flooding that began late Friday night and continued for several hours.
Flood waters were between 70 centimetres and one-metre deep in the lowest part of the district.
Witthaya Phiewphongphan, the provincial governor, said that aside from residential areas in Phachi, more than 8,000 rai of farmland in an additional three districts in the province had also been flooded.
In nearby Saraburi, some parts of Phahon Yothin Road in Muang and Nong Khae districts were inundated.
PARALYSED: A road in Ubon Ratchathani is flooded in nearly a metre of water. Traffic in the northeastern province ground to a halt yesterday due to rain. PHOTO: TAWEESAK BUTCHAN
Water levels there were between 50cm and 70cm deep.
Cars could still traverse the road to the North and Northeast, but they were slowed by the flood waters which did not subside as the rain continued.
In the Northeast, sustained heavy rains have also caused flooding in Mukdahan's Muang district. Flood waters rose to about 30cm to 80cm deep. It began to rain on Friday with the downpour only tapering off about 3pm yesterday.
Bangkok Post : Flash floods force mass evacuations
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/193455/flash-floods-force-mass-evacuations
On the bright side, this storm has brought Sirikit Dam up to where it was this time last year. Still way below where it should be — above the yellow line — but certainly better than it was a month ago!
