Thailand Flood Toll Hits 100 As Ubon Gets Ready

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FLOOD CRISIS

Toll hits 100 as Ubon gets ready

By THE NATION ON SUNDAY

More moves also made to prepare Bangkok for high tides next week

The death toll from flooding in various parts of the country rose to 100 yesterday while 222 districts in 27 provinces remained underwater.

Ubon Ratchathani was on high alert for a major flood expected to hit Muang and Warin Chamrap districts on Tuesday.

And Bangkok's drainage officials are due to meet tomorrow to discuss more measures to implement for high tides expected from November 6-11 (next Saturday to Thursday week).

National flood coordination centre chairman Apirak Kosayodhin said the death toll had reached 100 as of yesterday. A report by the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand said 84 men and 16 women had died in the floods.

Nakhon Ratchasima had had the most deaths - 18, followed by Lop Buri with 13, Nakhon Sawan - 12 - and Ayutthaya, 8.

Apirak said that 3.6 million people in 27 provinces - including Angthong, Sing Buri, Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi - were still affected by floods, while water in 16 provinces had receded.

He warned that flood levels in Buri Ram's Sateuk ditrict, Si Sa Ket's Rasi Salai district, Maha Sarakham, Yasothon, Roi Et and Khon Kaen would rise.

Water in the Mul River was flowing at a rate of 2,800 cubic metres per second and would reach Ubon Ratchathani's Muang district on Tuesday. It was expected to exceed river banks by up to 60cm above the normal level and affect 1,900 families, Apirak said. The flood would likely to last for a week before receding.

Apirak attended a meeting with the Ubon governor yesterday on ways to tackle the flood. They included using 40 pumps to divert water from the Mul River to the Mekong, an evacuation drill at Hat Khudeu yesterday afternoon, temporary shelters at Warin Chamrap Land Office, moves to prevent flooding at Sappasitthiprasong Hospital and the distribution of 467,000 sets of medicine for water-prone diseases.

Apirak also visited and gave out relief bags to villagers who have moved to temporary shelters in Warin Chamrap. He said about 90,000 rai of rice fields in the province were submerged.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, floodwater was expected to recede in a week. Provincial Governor Raphi Phongbupakit said while other districts' floods had gone down, the water level in Prathai and Muang Yang districts was now at a metre deep and tipped to rise another 10cm.

He said 1.27 million people and 1.78 million rai of farmland in 32 districts were affected and damage to public facilities was estimated at Bt2.2 billion.

Former deputy PM Suwat Liptapanlop, who hosted an event to raise donations at Nakhon Ratchasima's Lan Yamo on Friday evening, said they managed to raise Bt36 million for flood victims.

People in Buri Ram's Phutthaisong district have had to sleep in roadside tents as their homes were under water a metre deep for more than a week. Yesterday they were sufferin from winter chills - as the temperature dropped to 17C at night - and calling for winter clothing.

Meanwhile, the South is now on alert for heavy rain that could cause flash floods and mudslides. A source at the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office Region 12 in Songkhla said officials and tools were prepared to tackle floods.

Bosses of several hotels in Hat Yai prepared water pumps and sandbag barriers yesterday to try to prevent a reoccurrence of the devastating flood that hit the city in 2000.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut said yesterday he planned to propose a meeting of economic ministers tomorrow to adjust the criteria to assist flood-affected farmers. The criteria for relief funds is now based on the cost of seed and fertiliser - at Bt606 per rai for rice fields, Bt837 for crop plantations and Bt912 for horticultural plants.

He said he would try to get the criteria based on production costs, so farmers get more assistance. Relief for people who have livestock was paid to each farmer at up to two cows each and no more than 1,000 fowls per case. He said he would ask the criteria be amended so it covered 50 per cent of the damaged amount.

-- The Nation 2010-10-31

[sirchai]

Hi, I'm planning to fly to Ubon coming Thursday afternoon. Is there anybody in Ubon Ratchatani who knows if there's already a flood in town, or bridges closed?

My main point is could the airport be affected?

I'd deeply appreciate if somebody would write some words about the situation right now.

Thanks a lot. :jap:

[BlueScouse]

Litle bit of flooding on the Warin side of the river.None in Ubon town yet.

Level of the river today at the boat races is less than at the same time last year.

No bridges closed.

Doubt if the water will get so high that the airport is flooded.Wasn't last time there

were big floods,about 5 or 7 years ago.

[SantiSuk]

Send a PM to Memock. His cafe is outside the airport gates and maybe he can call you with a live update.If as the Nation implies the main hospital is under threat, then so is the airport I would guess.

Or phone Air Asia or whichever carrier. They will have a good forward estimate (woops - forgot this is Thailand!)

Edited November 3, 2010 by SantiSuk

[BuckarooBanzai]

Very good quality, up to date, pdf maps pertaining to the rescent flooding can be found here.

http://unosat.web.cern.ch/unosat/asp/prod_free.asp?id=57

UNOSAT is the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Operational Satellite Applications Programme,

implemented in co-operation with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

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The areas of interest below group the map produced or facilitated by UNOSAT for the humanitarian community. Please credit UNOSAT and/or the original source if this information is used in a report, project etc.

International Charter Space and Major Disasters

Product ID: 1519 - English

Published: 1 Nov, 2010

Overview of Flood Waters in Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima & Surin Province, Thailand

UNOSAT_THA_FF2010_NAKHON_RATCHASIMA_MODIS_1Nov2010_LR.pdf (1.3MB),

UNOSAT_THA_FF2010_NAKHON_RATCHASIMA_MODIS_1Nov2010_HR.pdf (3.7MB)

Product ID: 1517 - English

Published: 29 Oct, 2010 (Updated: 29 Oct, 2010)

Overview of Flood Waters in and around Ayutthaya Province, Thailand

UNOSAT_THA_FF2010_Ayutthaya_MODIS_29Oct2010_v2_LR.pdf (1.1MB),

UNOSAT_THA_FF2010_Ayutthaya_MODIS_29Oct2010_v2_HR.pdf (3.4MB)