Floods Hit 10 Provinces In North

[webfact]

Floods hit 10 provinces in North

By The Nation

Train line from Chiang Mai cut; tourists evacuated from Pai lodges

About 10 provinces were struggling with flooding after heavy rain yesterday brought by Nock-Ten, even after it had weakened into a low-pressure ridge.

Some of the worst hit were Phrae, Mae Hong Son, Nong Khai and Lamphun.

Train services between Chiang Mai and Bangkok were suspended due to a submerged rail line in Phrae's Long district.

"We have offered full refunds," Chiang Mai Train Station chief Silrat Deewajee said.

Mueang Phrae Police Station superintendent Colonel Wanchai Jarernphon quickly set up a flood-relief centre and dispatched plainclothes police to help flood victims move their belongings to higher ground.

More than 200 houses in Phrae town municipality were flooded. Water ranged from one to two metres deep at the worst-hit spots.

In Mae Hong Son's Pai district, some local roads became impassable for vehicles in the wake of flooding. Many tourists had to be evacuated for safety reasons from guest houses that were flooded.

In Lamphun, many locals in Mae Tha district had to move to higher ground due to the risk of flooding.

In Nong Khai, the commercial zone was flooded to a point that power had to be cut. Two schools were closed.

"This is the first flood in our economic centre," cell-phone shop owner Surachai Dingsawas said. "Damage to my shop is about Bt500,000."

In Lamphun, many locals were waiting anxiously to find out when they would be able to return home. Flooding had forced them to move to higher ground.

"Nock Ten is still hovering over Lamphun. It will rain and even pour across many areas in the North," Lamphun disaster-prevention-and-mitigation chief Chumporn Intathep said.

In Lampang, a powerful torrent of run-off water almost overwhelmed a pickup with three people inside.

"I could not see the road surface at all but decided to drive through. But the water rushed in and it was so strong. We almost drowned with the vehicle. Fortunately, local people came to our rescue," 49-year-old Kanjana Moonpeung said.

Farm tractors were used to try to pull her submerged pickup out of the floodwater but it was unable to be salvaged.

In Loei, several schools remained closed after days of downpours sent floods into their hometowns.

In Nan's Na Muen district, there were landslides in more than 10 spots, but no report of casualties.

According to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, relevant authorities are now monitoring the Muifa storm, as it looks set to move from Taiwan toward Vietnam.

"We have to check if it will have an impact on Thailand," department chief Wiboonpong Sanguanpong said.

-- The Nation 2011-08-02

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Water officials plan canals to save Nan from flash floods

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

In a bid to protect the northern province of Nan from severe flooding, the Water Resources Department will go ahead with its plan to build canals and some "monkey cheek" water retention areas to divert or to temporarily hold large amounts of floodwater.

The project, costing Bt 1.8 billion, aims to channel large volumes of flash floodwater from surrounding mountains away from the city into watershed areas.

Head of the Water Resources Department Jatuporn Burutpat said his agency would ask Nan's provincial governor to study the details of the storage plan. Nan suffered severe flash floods on June 24 after torrential rain destroyed homes, properties, farms, and public facilities.

The amount of rainfall exceeded 630mm within 24 hours and hit Pua district especially badly. Large volumes of water flowed down from the mountains directly into Nan, submerging several economic zones in the city.

The Water Resources Department studied satellite images and maps of the water flow in the province and found the Nan River and its tributaries had narrowed and become shallow, leaving sediment.

Also, surrounding hills had been heavily denuded of forest and now had few trees to help limit flash floods, Jatuporn added.

Niruth Khoonphon, head of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda), said the amount of rain in Nan province this year was not higher than in 2006. But the water flows had changed over the past few years and flash flooding from Pua district into the Nan River had been very fast, causing it to rise very quickly.

Gistda recently sent a team of engineers to evaluate the amount of sediment in the River and help officials draw up plans to save the city from further severe floods.

The Water Resources Department issued a warning yesterday that 13 provinces in the North and Northeast were still at risk from floods over the next three days, due to heavy rain caused by tropical storm Nock Ten.

People in Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Phayao, Nan, Phrae, Lamphun, Lampang, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, and Tak were warned to be ready to evacuate to higher ground, if necessary, today and tomorrow.

"These areas face risk from severe flooding as the average amount of rainfall there could exceed 200mm over a critical point," Water Resources chief Jatuporn Burutpat said at the press conference yesterday.

Previously, storm Nock Ten hit eight other provinces in the North and Northeast including Nong Khai, Bung Kan, Udon Thani, Nong Bua Lamphu, Loei, Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen and Phitsanulok.

Jatuporn predicted that heavy downpours caused by Nock Ten would cease after August 3 when the normal rainy season is due to start.

-- The Nation 2011-08-02

[OzMick]

Nan river full of silt, and surrounding hills denuded of trees. So we better build some catchment ponds. Can you spot the logic flaw?

[Sam Drucker]

Water officials plan canals to save Nan from flash floods

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Jatuporn predicted that heavy downpours caused by Nock Ten would cease after August 3 when the normal rainy season is due to start.

This last sentence is classic! Let's hope the rainy season returns soon to alleviate the flooding!

[ratcatcher]

Water officials plan canals to save Nan from flash floods

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Jatuporn predicted that heavy downpours caused by Nock Ten would cease after August 3 when the normal rainy season is due to start.

This last sentence is classic! Let's hope the rainy season returns soon to alleviate the flooding!

Of course, what he means is that after it stops raining it will start raining. Simple!

[Thaddeus]

Water officials plan canals to save Nan from flash floods

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Jatuporn predicted that heavy downpours caused by Nock Ten would cease after August 3 when the normal rainy season is due to start.

This last sentence is classic! Let's hope the rainy season returns soon to alleviate the flooding!

Of course, what he means is that after it stops raining it will start raining. Simple!

And then when it stops raining, the problem will be forgotten about ..... until it starts raining again

[Yom]

Where is the problem? Same procedure as every year. Flooding after heavy rain will happen for thousands of years. No big trouble if your house is traditionally built on stilts. Big problem for shopkeepers in the cities and people living at ground level. - If the deforestation in the mountains continues(and it really happens) and more and more areas will be covered with concrete the problems will increase. - OzMick thanks for'catchment ponds', - good joke. - Phrae: some schools are closed. People prepare sandbags to protect their houses.

[brianb1944]

Checked Ping River near my home this morning, was about 20cm below breaking bank and flooding Riverside Restaurant on Chang Klan

[Yom]

'According to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, relevant authorities are now monitoring the Muifa storm, as it looks set to move from Taiwan toward Vietnam.

"We have to check if it will have an impact on Thailand," department chief Wiboonpong Sanguanpong said.' - THE NATION, today

Nonsense.

[rich54321]

this moring after a another night of rain - this is the main Mae ON Road, Sankamphaeng, ChiangMai and a new estate off that road

[webfact]

14 Thai provinces hit by floods; one person dies

PHICHIT, Aug 2 – Fourteen provinces in Thailand’s North and Northeast have been hit by floods triggered by tropical storm Nock-Ten, and one flood-related death was reported in the northeastern province of Udon Thani.

Saklek Kamjai, a disaster response official in Phichit, said the northern province is located on lowland and the Yom River was swollen and spilled into many areas in Samngam and Pho Prathap Chang districts. The province declared the two districts disaster zones.

Local residents living in the basins of the Yom and Nan rivers to move their belongings and animals to higher ground as the Nan River is rising and is about to flood riverside areas.

In Lampang, the Wang River overflowed its banks flooding more than 100 buildings in the municipality for the second day on Tuesday. Five communities have been under one to two metres of water, according to Lampang municipality Deputy Mayor Surapol Tansuwan.

As the rains continue, the water level of the Wang River has rapidly risen due to added waterflow released from the Kiu Lom dam and forest run-off.

In Lamphun, about 1,350 homes in the foothills in Mae Tha district and near the Mae Tha River in Muang, Mae Tha and Pa Sang district have been affected by flooding. About 5,000 rais (2,000 acres) of farmland are under one metre of water, said Chumpon Intathep, disaster prevention and mitigation officer.

Villagers moved their belongings to higher ground and some sections of roadway were eroded by flooding.

In Phrae, all eight districts have been affected by flood as the provincial seat has been hard-hit by flood as deep as two metres in some areas. The Yom River has risen to 10.16 metres.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Director General Vibul Sanguanpong said the agency reported flooding in 14 northern and northeastern provinces Tuesday, including Phrae, Chiang Mai, Nan, Lamphun, Lampang, Mae Hong Son, Uttaradit, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Nakhon Phanom, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon and Bung Kan.

One flood-related death was reported in Udon Thani.

The department issued flood and mudslide warnings for local residents in foothills near waterways to brace for flash floods and mudslides Aug 2-3.

The upper Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea are likely to experience strong winds. Small boats are advised to stay ashore.

Meanwhile, northern train services were suspended due to tropical storm Nock-Ten connected floods, said Nuananong Wongchan, public relations head of the State Railway of Thailand.

Incessant rains triggered floods elsewhere, prompting railway officials to cancel four Bangkok-Chiang Mai trains – two special express trains, an express train, and an express diesel train due to leave Bangkok Tuesday evening.

A Bangkok-Chiang Mai free rapid train scheduled to leave Bangkok at 2.30pm will run as far as Den Chai station in Phrae, but there is no forward transportation offered to passengers to provinces further north.

Passengers holding purchased tickets on any line can refund their tickets at full price. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-08-02