Two killed, 500 homes damaged in freak storms

KANCHANABURI: -- Two rural villagers were killed here while hundreds of homes and an extensive area of fruit orchards were damaged after violent hailstorms hit two provinces Friday night, officials said.

Heavy rainfall and strong winds wreaked havoc in several districts of Kanchanaburi province,130 km west of Bangkok, uprooting many trees and causing extensive damage to homes and other structures.

Numerous electrical power poles were blown down, causing a complete blackout in many areas, according to the authorities.

In Darn Makam Tia district, a large tree fell on two residents, killing them instantly, while a number of celebrating villagers were injured when numbers of coconuts fell into a Buddhist monk's ordination party.

Meanwhile, a tropical hailstorm swept into two districts of Thailand's northernmost province of Chiang Rai, damaging more than 500 homes there.

Chiang Rai governor Amornpan Nimanun declared both disticts a disaster zone.

The Meteorological Department has urged village residents in the North to be on full alert for storms through Thursday, while high temperatures and occasional storms are also forecast for other regions Tuesday through Thursday next week.

--TNA 2007-04-21

Thought I was going to get half my roof ripped off by the eaves....I guess they must have nailed it pretty well because I've got 2 metre overhangs in one area and it was flapping like a bird ready to take flight!!!! The winds drover rainwater right up to where the wall and eaves meet! Water was coming in the closed windows (wooden shutter type windows) like a ship was going down.....I kept telling my wife it wasn't too bad to calm her down but really I thought the roof was going to go....I'm making plans to add extra support for wing flap area.

Definitely the worst storm here (Chiang rai) since I've been here (5 years).

chownah

Edited April 21, 200719 yr by chownah