Urgent flood warning as reservoirs overwhelmed - RID denies repeat of 2011 crisis

[smutcakes]

54 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Can Yingluck can be retroactively blamed?

I am sure the NACC investigation of her over the floods will soon be dropped....

[AGareth2]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

In Nonthaburi and Bangkok, the Chao Phraya has already flooded some unprotected areas.

but we were told

No floods in Bangkok

[Becker]

1 hour ago, Formaleins said:

Who do they have left to blame for it this time? 

Well, that's obvious. It's all Thaksin's fault!

[AGareth2]

1 hour ago, Formaleins said:

Who do they have left to blame for it this time? 

the rain

[Ossy]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Six Central provinces also received particular warnings from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DPMD) yesterday.

What, with the DPMD and the RID, not to mention the RDD and RWMD, what the hell have all the guys in khaki  - and some of 'em in white, even - been doing with their time since 2011? They KNOW (A) how much the country's reservoirs can hold; they KNOW (B) how much rain might fall in a 'bad' year and they KNOW (C) how quickly/slowly existing river drainage discharges into the sea. Therefore, if B - A exceeds C, there's going to be DISASTER.

 

Even a school kid can see that the only SURE way to MITIGATE the problem is to raise the top end of the country by 50 metres, give or take, thereby speeding up the drainage . . . sorted. And, with Thailand possessing the world's highest ratio of excavating machinery - there must be a quarter million tracked backhoes in Isan, alone - per capita, what more could the DPMD ask for?

 

Seriously, though, six years after the last PROPER disaster, what is there to show, by way of increased reservoir capacity and efforts to maximise outflow rates, compared to what might have been achieved, had all resources been effectively utilised? Thailand, by its very nature, is so lethargic in its response to any given need and so lackadaisical, once the various departments have all been manned and named, that it's only by sheer good fortune that it wasn't washed out to sea, years ago . . . WALTWIT

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, Formaleins said:

Who do they have left to blame for it this time? 

Good point.

 

I think all that nasty, rogue Thaksin, TRT, Yingluck, PTP and all generally non-yellow water has been used up already.

[NanLaew]

24 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

the rain

 

[RichardColeman]

Is that the deputy PM taking a swim in the 2nd picture ? 

[CGW]

16 minutes ago, Ossy said:

What, with the DPMD and the RID, not to mention the RDD and RWMD, what the hell have all the guys in khaki  - and some of 'em in white, even - been doing with their time since 2011? They KNOW (A) how much the country's reservoirs can hold; they KNOW (B) how much rain might fall in a 'bad' year and they KNOW (C) how quickly/slowly existing river drainage discharges into the sea. Therefore, if B - A exceeds C, there's going to be DISASTER.

The problem is accountability! if B - C doesn't happen and someone has made a decision based on that! heads will roll, the prisons will be full, passports will be revoked, asylum applied for & there will be floods! or dry reservoirs! either scenario nature will run her course!

[rojaron]

If you check the weather maps,for example passageweather.com it shows that next week Thailand could get hit by 3 different typhoons.This is not a joke,check the weather forecast for yourself.

[Blackheart1916]

Deny, deny, deny. That'll fix it!!

[smotherb]

Gee, poor management, poor enforcement, poor planning, poor implementation, poor zoning, poor construction, poor operation, poor training and you wonder if problems will occur.

[Blackheart1916]

24 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

A great analogy... an insipid song mimed by a couple of muppets!!

[Ossy]

2 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Take Thailand's (well documented) historical figures on how much rain fell in which year. 

I.e. in a (ficticous example) in 2012 some 100 million m3 rain came; the dams at the beginning had 20 million m3 and a total capacity of 110 million m3 - so you need to put 90 million m3 into these dams.

So the management of the water levels in the dams and down stream is simply; you get 10/9th of water you need, i.e. you release today 1/9th of yesterday's rainfall, every day after a rainy day. 

One third of the rain falls in the last quarter of the monsoon; this will allow daily fine-tuning of water levels and allows avoiding floods downstream while having completely full dams at the end of the rainy season.

No rocket science - and this is how water dams are managed all over the planet - quite obviously except Thailand! 

Superb, but I'd keep your head down, now the RID knows that water management involves maths and not buckets.

[DM07]

Ooooooh, that Yingluk (shaking fist!)...she comes into office and it floods, she is in office and it floods, she is out of office and it floods, she is out of the country and it floods...

She is evil incarnate!

 

New year- same @#$%!

And still, nothing will be done, because those who COULD do something live in houses (!), which are safe from flooding and don't give a rodents behind about poor people!

[Cadbury]

40 minutes ago, rojaron said:

If you check the weather maps,for example passageweather.com it shows that next week Thailand could get hit by 3 different typhoons.This is not a joke,check the weather forecast for yourself.

Quite correct. The Grand Weather Wizard Prayut Chan-o-cha has already issued warnings. This is an extract from a weather report issued yesterday:

While nearly a month has passed since a typhoon roamed the western Pacific Ocean, more tropical activity is possible through the end of October.

"A tropical depression formed in the western South China Sea on Sunday night, local time, pushing heavy, tropical downpours into the island of Hainan and into northern Vietnam through Tuesday. Despite weakening once moving inland, flooding downpours could reach northern Thailand and Myanmar through the middle of the week."

Vietnam warnings are out that another typhoon is approaching and heading west and more heavy rains are expected. It is not unreasonable to expect Thailand will get some hangover from these storms.

 

[robblok]

As many here said more should be done but given the amount of water now and then it probably won't be a 2011 again. (I would not like it as i was flooded back then). I am happy that they manage the dams better as then but still far from perfect. They seem to care more for water storage than for safety. I can understand that a bit because not enough water means angry farmers. 

 

A lot more should be done as its a recurring problem better to spend money here then on tanks or subs or the rice program. 

[billd766]

5 hours ago, CGW said:

“The situation is not that serious,” he said.

 

Not yet its not! BUT if the rains continue surely it is inevitable that flooding on a much larger scale will be inevitable, been a long wet rainy season in the NE, the reservoirs are all full or very close to full, the land is sodden, unable to adsorb any more water so it will run off - to where? I would be preparing rather than hoping! Dependant on just how much more rainfall there will be this year will see the level of flooding, given that the forecast is for more rains!

This was the status of the large and medium reservoirs at 0700 this morning.

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/show_sm_dam.php?lang=en

 

 

[Jai Dee]

13 minutes ago, billd766 said:

This was the status of the large and medium reservoirs at 0700 this morning.

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/rid_dam_1.php?lang=en

 

http://www.thaiwater.net/DATA/REPORT/php/show_sm_dam.php?lang=en

 

 

Interesting to note that the largest capacity dams (Bhumibol in Tak - 67%, Srinakarin in Kanchanaburi - 84%, and Ratchaprapa in Surat Thani - 78%) still have a way to go before they are full. I have been to each of these dams and it would be nice to re-visit them when they are full.

 

Understandably the smaller dams will reach their capacity earlier.

 

Good links Bill. 

[overherebc]

4 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Take Thailand's (well documented) historical figures on how much rain fell in which year. 

I.e. in a (ficticous example) in 2012 some 100 million m3 rain came; the dams at the beginning had 20 million m3 and a total capacity of 110 million m3 - so you need to put 90 million m3 into these dams.

So the management of the water levels in the dams and down stream is simply; you get 10/9th of water you need, i.e. you release today 1/9th of yesterday's rainfall, every day after a rainy day. 

One third of the rain falls in the last quarter of the monsoon; this will allow daily fine-tuning of water levels and allows avoiding floods downstream while having completely full dams at the end of the rainy season.

No rocket science - and this is how water dams are managed all over the planet - quite obviously except Thailand! 

Won't argue with your figures but I reckon all the above assumes the released water has somewhere to go and not into the main drain for BKK the river which is very close to if not at sea level for a long bit of its length.

[rickudon]

As i remember. the 2011 floods didn't peak until December-January. Still plenty of time for a disaster. Better get all those monks praying that the rain does not continue.

[YetAnother]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

 

RID denies repeat of 2011 crisis as residents warned

what do those guys do ?; 10 months of the year, apparently just collecting salaries, then 2 months of excuses, retreaded from last year

[joecoolfrog]

If only some sort of precedent could be set for charging those in authority with criminal negligence.....

[The Deerhunter]

10 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Take Thailand's (well documented) historical figures on how much rain fell in which year. 

I.e. in a (ficticous example) in 2012 some 100 million m3 rain came; the dams at the beginning had 20 million m3 and a total capacity of 110 million m3 - so you need to put 90 million m3 into these dams.

So the management of the water levels in the dams and down stream is simply; you get 10/9th of water you need, i.e. you release today 1/9th of yesterday's rainfall, every day after a rainy day. 

One third of the rain falls in the last quarter of the monsoon; this will allow daily fine-tuning of water levels and allows avoiding floods downstream while having completely full dams at the end of the rainy season.

No rocket science - and this is how water dams are managed all over the planet - quite obviously except Thailand! 

Here, do they rely on soothsayers and fortune tellers?

[Jonah Tenner]

9 hours ago, rickudon said:

As i remember. the 2011 floods didn't peak until December-January. Still plenty of time for a disaster. Better get all those monks praying that the rain does not continue.

 

[newatthis]

16 hours ago, rickudon said:

As i remember. the 2011 floods didn't peak until December-January. Still plenty of time for a disaster. Better get all those monks praying that the rain does not continue.

You're obviously speaking about Bangkok.

Edited October 13, 2017 by newatthis
Computer problems

[Elkski]

Very interesting not one person has said why do people build in what is obvious a floodplain  as seen on maps, Google earth, or from the air.    Maybe the solution is relocation.  Who would buy or build in a food prone area?

[soalbundy]

22 hours ago, TomJoad said:

When sea levels rise even higher, the Chao Phraya River will rise higher too.  I sometimes wonder if the people building all the new high rises in Bangkok realize this.  Maybe they think the problem will somehow be solved by then?  

build them on stilts, every condo should have its own little harbour instead of a car park.

[JAG]

23 hours ago, TomJoad said:

When sea levels rise even higher, the Chao Phraya River will rise higher too.  I sometimes wonder if the people building all the new high rises in Bangkok realize this.  Maybe they think the problem will somehow be solved by then?  

 

21 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

build them on stilts, every condo should have its own little harbour instead of a car park.

The Venice of The Orient?

 

A hub of Venices?

 

Venice 4.0?

Edited October 13, 2017 by JAG

[millwall_fan]

23 hours ago, soalbundy said:

It isn't that serious, he lives on high ground.

No, he means it isn't that serious if you live in Central Bangkok lots of money has been spent diverting flood waters there - its the rest of the country that can go hang. Same old, same old.