Flood Warnings 2011

[dave2]

rtd

re .. Well it seems to have only risen by 1/4 m since midnight at Nawarat.

if your right and i dont know coz ive not been down there today.

the river ( according to my pics ) has risen about four inches in 5 days ( 21 to 26 ) plus your 1/ 4 metre from last night and thats it

3 to 4 feet ??? .... nahhh

pic 1 ... taken 2 30 pm 21 aug 11

pic 2 .. taken 2 00 pm 26 aug 11

pic 3 .. taken 2 07 pm 26 aug 11

regards .. dave2

[AnnaHelenaSvensson]

Hey everyone,

I am a swedish tourist currently hanging out in Vietnam and I have booked airline tickets to Chiang Mai for the 2nd of september. What kind of conditions should we expect? Is this a poor time to visit CM? Will trecking tours, elephant riding, whitewater rafting and that touristy stuff be operating? Given the news, we are considering trying to rebook for elsewhere in Thailand. In case you advice me not to come to CM, can you suggest a better place to go? We are looking for a combination of shopping and adventure holidy for about a week on our honeymoon.

Hoping for a fast review of the current situation in CM,

Best,

Anna

[Priceless]

Hey everyone,

I am a swedish tourist currently hanging out in Vietnam and I have booked airline tickets to Chiang Mai for the 2nd of september. What kind of conditions should we expect? Is this a poor time to visit CM? Will trecking tours, elephant riding, whitewater rafting and that touristy stuff be operating? Given the news, we are considering trying to rebook for elsewhere in Thailand. In case you advice me not to come to CM, can you suggest a better place to go? We are looking for a combination of shopping and adventure holidy for about a week on our honeymoon.

Hoping for a fast review of the current situation in CM,

Best,

Anna

I would say that this is a perfectly OK time to visit Chiang Mai. The air is clear and the temperatures are nice. To be absolutely sure of avoiding flooding, you would probably have to leave Southeast Asia, which I guess you don't want to.

If you want some tips or any kind of help while you're here, don't hesitate to send me a PM. I'm Swedish (stockholmare) and live here on a full-time basis since 2006, so I might be able to assist.

/ Priceless

[realthaideal]

Hi Anna. Yes, like Priceless says, it's fine to come here now. Everything's open and the weather has been overall great. The rains are usually in short bursts of a few minutes to maybe an hour. We residents just watch the river level to speculate, and the way it's been, if it were to flood, it would only be in small local areas. Or so we hope !

I imagine some of the rivers might be a little rough for bamboo rafting now, and other small ones may be just perfect.

All of the elephant camps are open, like the famous Mae Sa one. You can get any trekking company around town to book you places for the all-in one big tours. Over all, they're fun and you meet lots of great people traveling around.

Last year I went with visiting friends up to a Karen village where they raise the elephants and let them run in the jungle - that was fun for an old-timer like me who had done it all before. Plus, you stay in really nice lodge and avoid the whole backpacker crowd. As it's your honeymoon, it might be a nice way to see elephants and have some romance all in one. I'll pm you the name of the company.

There are also a bunch of spas in town that also have boutique villas/hotels attached to them. And these days the town also has many boutique hotels, all of them with nice spas and swimming pools. Google boutique hotel Chiang Mai and I'm sure you'll find many nice listings. And since rainy season is low-season, I would ask for a discount at every one I talk to ! Many of the more expensive hotels are giving great prices if you ask.

[dave2]

rtd

re .. Well it seems to have only risen by 1/4 m since midnight at Nawarat.

if your right and i dont know coz ive not been down there today.

the river ( according to my pics ) has risen about four inches in 5 days ( 21 to 26 ) plus your 1/ 4 metre from last night and thats it

3 to 4 feet ??? .... nahhh

...................................................................................................................................................................................................

i dont know where you got your figure from rtd but the 1/ 4 metre rise was wayyyyyyy out

the river has indeed risen by just under a metre in 32 hours to 9 15 tonight.

pic 1 ... river level 9 15 tonight

pic 2 .. river level board going down

pic 3 .. warrarat market bridge level at 9 30 tonight

if it rises more than about three feet in the next few days ( doubt full ) it will flood outside the school ... nong hoi road

but it will have to rise at least 5 feet to flood warrarat market

apologies to everyone for giving wrong information earlier : (

dave2 ... having a beer : )

[realthaideal]

Glad it's going down.

Dave 2- I was responding to an inquiry last night... a few hours after it was made, but was referring to when I was reading the charts. I first posted at 2a yesterday when the water are Nawarat was 3.33 m. Then I followed up with a new post at 1.30p when the water was at 3.57 m. A bit of subtraction: .24 m difference.

But whatever, I should've/could've given a ref to what I was comparing. I based on me - my own center of the universe, of course.

Looks like things have waned.... let's see what the next 2 weeks bring.

[CheGuava]

I imagine some of the rivers might be a little rough for bamboo rafting now, and other small ones may be just perfect.

Best not to do white water rafting; that can be a dangerous activity in the rainy season.

[dave2]

rtd.

re .. But whatever, I should've/could've given a ref to what I was comparing.

fair comment ... no harm done ..

my pictures are timed and dated so everyone can see exactly when the picture was taken

not vague information hours old in an important thread for some people.

re ... let's see what the next 2 weeks bring.

doi internon is going to look like this for sure : )

dave2

[iainiain101]

rtd

re .. Well it seems to have only risen by 1/4 m since midnight at Nawarat.

if your right and i dont know coz ive not been down there today.

the river ( according to my pics ) has risen about four inches in 5 days ( 21 to 26 ) plus your 1/ 4 metre from last night and thats it

3 to 4 feet ??? .... nahhh

pic 1 ... taken 2 30 pm 21 aug 11

pic 2 .. taken 2 00 pm 26 aug 11

pic 3 .. taken 2 07 pm 26 aug 11

regards .. dave2

Dave

Thanks for the photos, but we are all refering to the rise from the 26th to the 27th August

At 2pm on 26th Narawat Bridge = 2.47m

At 2pm on 27th Narawat Bridge = 3.56m

A rise of 1.09m which is just over 3 1/2 feet.

Your pictures show 2pm and 2.07pm on the 26th, so the difference in river level over 7 minutes.

Iain

[AnnaHelenaSvensson]

I imagine some of the rivers might be a little rough for bamboo rafting now, and other small ones may be just perfect.

Best not to do white water rafting; that can be a dangerous activity in the rainy season.

Maybe so, but the rafting trips I have done so far have been closed in the dry season, and even in the wet season they have sometimes had to boost the rivers through opening dams. Is there suxh a thing as dry season whitewater rafting? Wouldn't that be about as exciting as crawling over moist rocks?

[Dante99]

I imagine some of the rivers might be a little rough for bamboo rafting now, and other small ones may be just perfect.

Best not to do white water rafting; that can be a dangerous activity in the rainy season.

Maybe so, but the rafting trips I have done so far have been closed in the dry season, and even in the wet season they have sometimes had to boost the rivers through opening dams. Is there suxh a thing as dry season whitewater rafting? Wouldn't that be about as exciting as crawling over moist rocks?

Yes, most of us here spend a lot of time crawling over moist rocks. What the hell, it beats trying to give good advice to those who are not plugged in enough to realize let alone appreciate what they got.

[Gonzo the Face]

I imagine some of the rivers might be a little rough for bamboo rafting now, and other small ones may be just perfect.

Best not to do white water rafting; that can be a dangerous activity in the rainy season.

Maybe so, but the rafting trips I have done so far have been closed in the dry season, and even in the wet season they have sometimes had to boost the rivers through opening dams. Is there suxh a thing as dry season whitewater rafting? Wouldn't that be about as exciting as crawling over moist rocks?

Yes, most of us here spend a lot of time crawling over moist rocks. What the hell, it beats trying to give good advice to those who are not plugged in enough to realize let alone appreciate what they got.

Now be nice.... don't be hard on our newbie and potential tourist in her second post. She may be the only tourist we get this year...

and as a side note it would seem the rain last night in now getting into our river area. The river has risen about ll cm in the past 5 hrs.

Didn't even get the chance to wash off yesterdays left over mud .

Edited August 28, 2011 by Gonzo the Face

[Sojourner]

These pics taken at Mae Ngat Dam a few weeks ago. I can't imagine the dam manager letting water out needlessly when it's no where close to being full.

[kalbo123]

These pics taken at Mae Ngat Dam a few weeks ago. I can't imagine the dam manager letting water out needlessly when it's no where close to being full.

As I understood the dam is not build to get full with water, the walls cannot take the water pressure, so they could release water even if not full.

[MESmith]

These pics taken at Mae Ngat Dam a few weeks ago. I can't imagine the dam manager letting water out needlessly when it's no where close to being full.

As I understood the dam is not build to get full with water, the walls cannot take the water pressure, so they could release water even if not full.

If you look at the 2nd photo, the water level is well below the spillway. The first photo shows water level gauges, indicating the water can reach a lot higher.

Edited August 28, 2011 by MESmith

[Sojourner]

These pics taken at Mae Ngat Dam a few weeks ago. I can't imagine the dam manager letting water out needlessly when it's no where close to being full.

As I understood the dam is not build to get full with water, the walls cannot take the water pressure, so they could release water even if not full.

If you look at the 2nd photo, the water level is well below the spillway. The first photo shows water level gauges, indicating the water can reach a lot higher.

This is my understanding also. The reservoir has been much higher more often than not. Besides the water stains on the gauges painted on the wall and the posts stuck in the ground, there's the tree line around the reservoir ending quite a ways above the present level.

[Gonzo the Face]

06:15 Weds

The Thai Gov't in action

The river is on the rise and has gone to 3.03 at Narrawat Br., as of midnight last. This is usually a yellow blinking caution and cause for some concern and caution. But the Hydro folks say 'what the hey' my shift is over, I'm going home or to sleep and to hell with the flooding. No reporting in hazard conditions. Gives you some concern for their sense of responsibility to their being and job.

normal times , I can understand , but times where there are potential serious problems ?????...... no wonder people feel poorly towards these workers.

G

[CheGuava]

06:15 Weds

The Thai Gov't in action

The river is on the rise and has gone to 3.03 at Narrawat Br., as of midnight last. This is usually a yellow blinking caution and cause for some concern and caution. But the Hydro folks say 'what the hey' my shift is over, I'm going home or to sleep and to hell with the flooding. No reporting in hazard conditions. Gives you some concern for their sense of responsibility to their being and job.

normal times , I can understand , but times where there are potential serious problems ?????...... no wonder people feel poorly towards these workers.

G

Why can't you just accept that they know what's gong on? If there is a flood then fine, you can complain, but when everything is fine I don't see the point in continued bitching, especially from someone who has encroached all the way to the mid winter level of the river. Just let them do their job, I'm sure they will return the courtesy and let you get on with the chicken fried steaks without too many comments?

(Looking at the weather radar last night, the major showers were moving in from the South-West. So that's not where the river is. (Well, other rivers are there so that would be of some concern) but it's quite possible that the rise in the Ping river is really quite moderate. )

Edited September 7, 2011 by CheGuava

[Gladiator]

Why can't you just accept that they know what's gong on? If there is a flood then fine, you can complain, but when everything is fine I don't see the point in continued bitching, especially from someone who has encroached all the way to the mid winter level of the river. Just let them do their job, I'm sure they will return the courtesy and let you get on with the chicken fried steaks without too many comments?

Meaowwww.... I can't believe that you said that !!!!

[sbk]

One post removed. If that was a threat then I highly recommend you re-think your position.

[Gonzo the Face]

06:15 Weds

The Thai Gov't in action

The river is on the rise and has gone to 3.03 at Narrawat Br., as of midnight last. This is usually a yellow blinking caution and cause for some concern and caution. But the Hydro folks say 'what the hey' my shift is over, I'm going home or to sleep and to hell with the flooding. No reporting in hazard conditions. Gives you some concern for their sense of responsibility to their being and job.

normal times , I can understand , but times where there are potential serious problems ?????...... no wonder people feel poorly towards these workers.

G

Why can't you just accept that they know what's gong on? If there is a flood then fine, you can complain, but when everything is fine I don't see the point in continued bitching, especially from someone who has encroached all the way to the mid winter level of the river. Just let them do their job, I'm sure they will return the courtesy and let you get on with the chicken fried steaks without too many comments?

(Looking at the weather radar last night, the major showers were moving in from the South-West. So that's not where the river is. (Well, other rivers are there so that would be of some concern) but it's quite possible that the rise in the Ping river is really quite moderate. )

Really sorry that my post added to your being upset.....maybe some Preparation H would help...

If you are not concerned with the river level, thats fine... but I am....and having , in critical times , hourly postings is very important to me, as it gives me some indication on what to or maybe should do.

As far as encroaching on the river at mid winter levels, maybe you should take a look before making blind comments.

G

[Gonzo the Face]

To anyone who has interest, but may not have access to the Hydro info, the river is coming up pretty fast now.

It should be coming over into some of the lower areas along the river , shortly. Its over 3.37 at N Bridge.

This could be the worst flood level we have had this year, if it does not taper off..... Still the San Sai reading has not tapered off either and we usually follow behind those readings....

If you have concern with the river lever, best stay alert for the next few hrs.

G

[Gonzo the Face]

To anyone who has interest, but may not have access to the Hydro info, the river is coming up pretty fast now.

It should be coming over into some of the lower areas along the river , shortly. Its over 3.37 at N Bridge.

This could be the worst flood level we have had this year, if it does not taper off..... Still the San Sai reading has not tapered off either and we usually follow behind those readings....

If you have concern with the river lever, best stay alert for the next few hrs.

G

Just to point out further..... what has been a normal increase in river level, 1,2 or maybe 3 cm per hour, has now been posted in the hour between noon and 1 PM as a 6 cm rise. I don't ever remember that rapid a rise in the recent past..

Offered as a note of caution to those who may have protection measures to prepare

If the boys on the dam are releasing water, now may be a good time to review slowing down the out-put

G

Edited September 7, 2011 by Gonzo the Face

[Loaded]

To anyone who has interest, but may not have access to the Hydro info, the river is coming up pretty fast now.

It should be coming over into some of the lower areas along the river , shortly. Its over 3.37 at N Bridge.

This could be the worst flood level we have had this year, if it does not taper off..... Still the San Sai reading has not tapered off either and we usually follow behind those readings....

If you have concern with the river lever, best stay alert for the next few hrs.

G

I think San Sai has tapered off now so hopefully no flood levels in Chiang Mai this time. I think this is the third time this year the river has been 10cm or so from flood levels but didn't go higher. Either good luck or excellent management. I'll give the Thais the benefit of the doubt. Considering the amount of rain this year and what's happening down river on the way to Bangkok, we have been very very fortunate this year.

[uptheos]

Seems pretty full to the brim, as I came under Mahidol Road onto Pardad (river road) a few hours ago.

[realthaideal]

I was just down by the river at the Changklan - Mahidol underpass and was jolted out of my casual driving mood when I saw that the river really is high right now ! I mean.... we're within a foot of cresting the cement sides where the sandbags are gathered just after crossing under the bridge. It's fast-moving too.

I'm with you Gonzo. I had myself a wet drive back from Lamphun last night and was wondering just how bad it was. Didn't think to check the site till about 1 am, and yep, no data. It is odd....not posting when things are not normal circumstances. But now the data's in and it's cause for concern. I do hope/ expect though, that they'll keep monitoring and controlling the situation as well as they did a few weeks ago when the water rose the last time to just the rim, but no more.

Here's that link again: http://hydro-1.com/index.php?id=61&rivercode=0602

[Gonzo the Face]

The 6 PM reading shows at 3.59..... from what I can see it may increase to 3.60 or 3.61 then hold for an hour or two then someone will pull the plug and it should go down relatively quickly. Thats with no more rain to amount to anything upriver....

Hey maybe we can start some kind of pool as to what time we think it will break under and through the 3.00 on the way down....

Gonzo's pick is tomorrow at 11AM.....

.....and yours ?????

over to you////

[Gonzo the Face]

The 6 PM reading shows at 3.59..... from what I can see it may increase to 3.60 or 3.61 then hold for an hour or two then someone will pull the plug and it should go down relatively quickly. Thats with no more rain to amount to anything upriver....

Hey maybe we can start some kind of pool as to what time we think it will break under and through the 3.00 on the way down....

Gonzo's pick is tomorrow at 11AM.....

.....and yours ?????

over to you////

First one on record will win a free chicken fried steak dinner..... excluding drinks....

....and Uptheos if you win all you have to do is come in and ID yourself and you too can get the pri :D ze

,,,Forgot to mention....your guess must be registered before 9PM tonight.... 1 guess per member

Edited September 7, 2011 by Gonzo the Face

[Loaded]

The 6 PM reading shows at 3.59..... from what I can see it may increase to 3.60 or 3.61 then hold for an hour or two then someone will pull the plug and it should go down relatively quickly. Thats with no more rain to amount to anything upriver....

Hey maybe we can start some kind of pool as to what time we think it will break under and through the 3.00 on the way down....

Gonzo's pick is tomorrow at 11AM.....

.....and yours ?????

over to you////

First one on record will win a free chicken fried steak dinner..... excluding drinks....

....and Uptheos if you win all you have to do is come in and ID yourself and you too can get the pri :D ze

,,,Forgot to mention....your guess must be registered before 9PM tonight.... i guess per member

I think the 9am reading tomorrow morning will go below 3m.

[naboo]

I'm taking 8am!