Floods, Rain Have Some North, Northeast Provinces On Alert

[Lite Beer]

Floods, rain have some North, Northeast provinces on alert

PHICHIT, Aug 21 – Floods continue in some northern provinces while Kalasin province in the Northeast remains vigilant for possible flooding and landslide.

The water level in the Yom River, running through Phichit province passed the critical level by 85 centimetres and overflowed its banks, flooding 150 houses in Phichit’s Pho Thale district. Moreover, run-off from further north has contributed to extensive floods in low-lying areas along the Yom River.

More than 10,000 rais (4,000 acres) of paddy fields were damaged. Some villagers have fallen ill and are experiencing heightened stress. Suwit Vatcharothayangkul, Phichit governor led mobile medical units to treat flood victims and distributed 600 flood relief supplies to them.

In the northern province of Nan, the business area in the Muang Nan municipality has been inundated by 50 centimetres of water, affecting trade.

Shop owners have been forced to move their belongings to higher ground. Six communities along the Nan River have been affected. Eight educational institutes in the municipality have yet to announce closures, awaiting an update to the situation on Sunday.

Surapon Thiensutr, mayor of the Muang Nan municipality ordered all flood gates to be opened to release the flood water in the communities into the Nan River. The situation will be closely monitored due to continuous rain.

In the northeastern province of Kalasin, heavy rains continued as 18 districts have been hit by flooding. The damage in 11 out of 18 districts is estimated to cost more than 73 million baht (US$2.4 million).

Wirote Jiwarangsan, Kalasin provincial governor, ordered local officials in 18 districts to be on alert as three days of rain have caused water in the Lampao dam basin to rise by 20 centimetres. Three at-risk districts in low-lying areas and in areas along the Phu Phan mountain range remain vigilant for possible flash floods and landslides. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-08-21

[jaltsc]

dam_n....If the Democrats would have promised to change and control the weather they might have won the election. Remember this topic for the next election's campaign promises.

[webfact]

Floods: 37 killed, over 1 million affected

By THE NATION

Flooding has killed 37 people and left one victim missing, according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DPMD). It has also upset the lives of more than 1.15 million people in many provinces.

At least 16 provinces were flooded as of press time.

They were Sukhothai, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Phetchabun, Nakhon Na Yok, Ayutthaya, Roi Et, Kalasin, Ubon Ratchathani, Angthong, Prachin Buri, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, and Lampang.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has ordered the Royal Irrigation Department and the Water Resources Department to hold discussions with the governors of affected provinces and present their well-prepared plan to tackle water-related problems in the Yom River basin next month.

Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut yesterday said two smaller dams proved to be a more practical solution than the Kaeng Sua Ten dam, which had long drawn stiff opposition from residents.

The lack of dams in strategic locations has been blamed for flooding in the lower North, which included Phrae, Nan, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok and Phichit.

In Phichit, one death was reported yesterday. The victim was Daoruang Meesantiah, 41. Locals said Daoruang, a native of Nakhon Sawan, left a house and tried to wade through floodwater that was nearly two metres deep on Saturday. He drowned and his body was found yesterday.

Daorunag's death raised the flood-related casualties in Phichit to four this month - the highest in 10 years for this province. Inundation also ravaged more than 100,000 rai of farmland and damaged 10 local roads in Phichit.

In Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, run-off water from mountains yesterday swept two-year-old Pongsakorn Shosayky away and drowned him.

Local officials are busy placing sandbags into embankments along the Sai River to prevent its overflowing from flooding more areas.

Heavy downpours continued in many parts of the country due to a monsoon and the low-pressure ridge that was downgraded from the Nock Ten storm.

In Phitsanulok's Bang Rakam district, many locals have been struggling with floods for a month now. Floodwater levels have prompted them to evacuate their houses and now to elevate their temporary shelters to higher levels.

Tiwat Prompiram, 55, said floodwaters at first affected only the first storey of his house. "Now, my second floor is flooded too," he said.

He said he had to raise a platform to keep his possessions out of the water and stayed in the flooded house to watch over his property.

"I am worried thieves may come in and steal my stuff if I am not home," he said.

He has decided to send his family members to a rented room at the cost of Bt2,500 a moth because he did not want to see them struggle with the rising water.

"Many families have done the same thing," Tiwat said.

In some areas of Phitsanulok's Meang district, flooding continued yesterday. Wat Kuha Sawan, for example, was inundated and a nearby school was assessing to check whether classes needed to be suspended.

In Lampang, run-off water from mountains flooded six villages in Mae Ta district seriously ravaging locals' shiitake farms. A landslide also hit a house, destroying the owner's properties, motorcycle and farming tools.

In Lamphun, many people in Ban Ti district woke up to find their house was flooded. In some areas, floodwater was 50-centimetres-deep.

-- The Nation 2011-08-22