Picture: Manager

 

Dramatic video from Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand's north east showed a huge outflow of water from the Lam Chiang Krai reservoir.

 

A wall had been breached by high waters amid ongoing work to repair a sluice gate. 

 

More than 1.2 million people had viewed the ongoing devastation caused by the disaster as posted by ThaiPressCo.

 

Picture: Manager

 

The provincial governor has issued warnings to people in Non Thai and Nong Sung districts.

 

Meanwhile Manager reported that Facebook site "Mitrearth" showed satellite images suggesting 30 sub-districts (tambon) and 70 villages were inundated. 

 

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Thai engineering at it's best, that would have to be the worst example of a "Cofferdam" I have ever seen. Looks to be made of the local red Hin (a red clay & rock based lsaan soil), sets like concrete in the dry season but without proper compaction turns into a slushy mess in the monsoon. Words fail me!

Best time of year to be doing 2nd rate repairs to a sluice gate IMO. Superb planning.. 

17 minutes ago, bdenner said:

Thai engineering at it's best, that would have to be the worst example of a "Cofferdam" I have ever seen. Looks to be made of the local red Hin (a red clay & rock based lsaan soil), sets like concrete in the dry season but without proper compaction turns into a slushy mess in the monsoon. Words fail me!

Nice Thai Bash...  ‘because flooding and dams bursting elsewhere never happens ?

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/01/uk-weather-homes-evacuated-floods-hit-north-of-england

 

 

Floods occur everywhere, always have throughout geological time. 

The difference is that now we live in areas with flooding. 

 

Thailand receives an exception amount of rainfall... Its called the ’Tropics’ for a reason !!! the whole nation would be have to be completely re-engineered at the cost of trillions to prevent any flooding.

 

Its something we have to life with, alongside and mitigate rather than eradicate. 

A mud wall might work in the African sun, but during the rainy season to stop a dam while work is carried out to a sluice gate is questionable?

 

5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Nice Thai Bash...  ‘because flooding and dams bursting elsewhere never happens ?

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/01/uk-weather-homes-evacuated-floods-hit-north-of-england

 

 

Floods occur everywhere, always have throughout geological time. 

The difference is that now we live in areas with flooding. 

 

Thailand receives an exception amount of rainfall... Its called the ’Tropics’ for a reason !!! the whole nation would be have to be completely re-engineered at the cost of trillions to prevent any flooding.

 

Its something we have to life with, alongside and mitigate rather than eradicate. 

Did you bother to study the photos or just let the "keyboard warrior" in you take control of reality?

But only 2 weeks ago the PM assured us of no flooding this year, 

Usual downplaying a potential catastrophe.

They could have gotten help.

Thousands of people lives effected because of the lack heavy equipment.

 

"Meanwhile, Royal Irrigation Department Deputy Director-General Thaweesak Thanadechophol denied press reports today (Monday) that the reservoir banks had collapsed, but he admitted that a small section of the earthen embankment under construction, about 15 metres wide, had caved in, allowing water from the swollen reservoir to flow downstream."

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/evacuation-alert-for-people-living-downstream-of-swollen-reservoir-in-nakhon-ratchasima/

49 minutes ago, natway09 said:

But only 2 weeks ago the PM assured us of no flooding this year, 

2 weeks ago nobody had heard of tropical storm Tianmu.

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

2 weeks ago nobody had heard of tropical storm Tianmu.

Precisely why you shouldn't give such assurances .

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Nice Thai Bash...  ‘because flooding and dams bursting elsewhere never happens ?

No....  but where flooding happens very frequently, you'd think extra measures would be in place for prevention.  

How haphazard does that setup look for a tropical climate where flooding is a common occurrence?

5 hours ago, Granet said:

No....  but where flooding happens very frequently, you'd think extra measures would be in place for prevention.  

How haphazard does that setup look for a tropical climate where flooding is a common occurrence?

Who pays for this... It would cost trillions to re-engineer Thailands flood plains, thats simply not an option for a developing nation of this size. 

 

Thailand protects its economic assets and has a flood wall around Bangkok, one which failed back in 2011 because it hadn’t been needed for number of years and was not adequately maintained and the water flowing down from the rest of Thailand combined with high tides result in no where for the water to go.

 

 

Keeping the drains clear can help towns and cities ease the flash flooding, but it still occurs simply because of the volume of rain coming down - when you have 500mm of rain in 8 hours, its going to flood unless you are on the side of a mountain. 

Every country has its issues with flooding - Japan had massive flooding in 2018 - sometimes we just get too much rain, UK has flooding every other year. 

 

The failure of this dam is catastrophic and could have been avoided - but it is already part of the mitigation measures along with numerous other dams. The issue is for ‘up country’ is predicting the amount of water Thailand will receive.

 

If Thailand over predicts how much rain it will get the reservoirs will be released, they won’t get enough water to last for the dry season and the farmers will go nuts.

If Thailand under-predicts the rain, it will have let too much go from the reservoirs and there won’t be enough water to last the dry season, the farmers will go nuts. 

If Thailand tries to ensure it has sufficient water in its reservoirs to last the dry season and it suffers excessive rainfall the reservoirs will fill, flooding will occur. 

 

It's a tricky balance to achieve - its not simply about diverting the water flow straight to the sea. 

 

Perhaps the answer is a lot more reservoirs.

 

 

 

You don't get it. This topic relates to a VERY poorly designed construction site - NOT the overall, Thai, flood control strategy!

1 hour ago, bdenner said:

You don't get it. This topic relates to a VERY poorly designed construction site - NOT the overall, Thai, flood control strategy!

Well, as the reservoirs are designed as part of the flood mitigation and irrigation measures the quality of their construction is wholly relevant to the flood mitigation measures on a whole - the reservoir would not have burst had the level not been so high and flood imminent !... 

 

Both issues come hand in hand where this specific reservoir is involved.