More Areas In Thai South Declared Disaster Zones

[Lite Beer]

More areas in South declared disaster zones

The Nation on Sunday

More districts in the southern provinces of Songkhla and Narathiwat have been declared disaster zones due to destruction caused by flash floods.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the Interior Ministry would closely monitor the situation, as the number of districts declared disaster zones in Songkhla rose to eight after three more districts were added yesterday. All districts of Narathiwat are now disaster zones after five more were added yesterday.

The National Disaster Warning Centre yesterday also warned residents of Surat Thani, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat to brace for heavy rainfall caused by the northeastern monsoon, and for high waves from yesterday to Wednesday.

Addressing the public on her weekly TV and radio programme, "Yingluck Government Meets the People," Yingluck said the southern floods resulting from heavy monsoon season rains were worrisome and that special attention should be focused on risk-prone areas. In particular, Songkhla's Sadao district could be affected by flood water from neighbouring Malaysia, where rainfall is 40-per-cent heavier than last year, she said.

Yingluck said people who lived near rivers in Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Trang and Satun should watch for possible flash floods, forest run-off and water overflow from rivers, while fishermen should also be careful of high waves. She instructed Deputy Prime Minister Pol Gen Kowit Wattana and Deputy Public Health Minister Torpong Chaiyasarn to help those affected.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri ordered public health offices in affected southern provinces to open a war room to tackle flood issues and arrange mobile medical teams to assist affected residents. The ministry has already prepared 500,000 sets of medicines for flood victims.

Fifteen medical teams have been dispatched daily to help victims. So far, 1,500 people had fallen ill, mostly from flu and Hong Kong Foot, said Dr Phaijit Worajit, the ministry's permanent secretary. Some 20,000 medicine sets had been sent to the affected provinces along with 2,700 life vests and 20 boats for public health officials to use.

Songkhla's Ranot, Sathing Phra and Muang districts were declared disaster zones yesterday, joining Saba Yoi, Khuan Niang, Chana, Rattaphum and Singha Nakhon districts, as the flood water spread. Nakhon Songkhla municipality yesterday received 20,000 sandbags to build a floodwall to protect Haad Chalathat Road, where, due to the monsoon season and unusually high tides, dozens of pine trees were felled by 2- to 3-metre-high waves.

Songkhla Irrigation Project director Danaiwit Saibundit said officials were closely monitoring Na Thawee and Chana districts, as they were at risk of being affected by flood water from Malaysia, while Sadao district - although located on the border - should not be greatly affected because the water was blocked by a mountain range there. He said Hat Yai City should not be affected by floods coming via Na Thawee and Chana because the water would flow directly into the Gulf of Thailand, while the Sadao Reservoir was at 35 per cent of its capacity.

Narathiwat yesterday declared five more districts as disaster zones, meaning all its districts are now so designated. Governor Thanon Vejjakornkanont said 22 schools were forced to close, and one Cha Nae district resident had died. A 102-year-old blind woman, Teemoh Awae, living with her son on Saithong 5 Soi 1 near the Sungai Kolok River, sought help as her home was flooded. Meanwhile, Thai soldiers brought relief bags from Her Majesty the Queen to assist 533 families in flooded Tambon Tanyongmas in Ra Ngae district yesterday.

Meanwhile, 18 tambon in Phatthalung's six districts remained submerged for a fourth day yesterday, affecting 7,000 residents. In some areas the flooding was as high as one metre. Officials were still looking for a 58-year-old man who was swept away in the flood water. Soldiers yesterday installed water pumps and used 3,500 sandbags to build a 1,500-metre-long floodwall around Jong Thanon Municipality School in Khao Chai Son district.

-- The Nation 2011-11-27

[Buchholz]

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri ordered public health offices in affected southern provinces to open a war room

PTP, the hub of war rooms

[siampolee]

Seems as if in spite of all the warnings, the regular weather patterns and past experiences . yet again no-one or nothing is prepared for any eventuality." Oh look khun Chat it's raining again like it does every year around now, Oh look khun Chat it's flooding again . What are we going to do, what did we do last year and all the years before? "

Will the community leaders ever learn anything in Thailand apart from how to get palms greased?

[Buchholz]

Thailand flood toll rises

Floods claimed three lives in southern Thailand, adding to the national death-toll of 615 recorded in the central plains over the past three months, media reports said yesterday.

Continues:

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=472470&version=1&template_id=45&parent_id=25

DPA - 1 hour, 43 minutes ago

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[easybullet3]

is this the excess of flood water that has come from bangkok (and above)?

or is this completely different flood water that originated 100% from the south of thailand?

- if its from the north of Thailand, I thought it was all supposed to have gone into the sea! how could it possibly have gone to the south?

so I guess this is un-connected to the flooding in bkk and north provinces, yes?

[whybother]

is this the excess of flood water that has come from bangkok (and above)?

or is this completely different flood water that originated 100% from the south of thailand?

- if its from the north of Thailand, I thought it was all supposed to have gone into the sea! how could it possibly have gone to the south?

so I guess this is un-connected to the flooding in bkk and north provinces, yes?

Yes.

[Buchholz]

Flooding in South Still Worrisome

Flooding in many southern provinces remains worrisome while tourists at various islands have returned to shore due to high waves and strong winds.

Both Thai and foreign tourists at Lipeh, Adang-Rawee and Tarutao islands had to return to shore following reports from the Meteorological Department that Satun, Trang, Krabi, Phangnga and Ranong will face winds of 15 to 35 kilometers per hour and waves of two meters. Small fishing trawlers have also refrained from going to sea.

Satun residents have been keeping a close eye on floodwater levels as continuous heavy rain batters the Southeast. Officials are on a 24 hour alert so they can issue flood warnings to residents in time.

In Surat Thani, officials inspected the bridge over Sawad Canal in Kanchanadit District which was damaged by flash flood torrents.

The currents also took out another bridge in Klongsa Subdistrict.

Repairs have been made so that locals can use the bridges.

In Donsak District, a six-meter concrete road was damaged by two meter high waves along a 700 meter stretch, making it impassable for all vehicles.

Surat Thani has declared Tachana and Kanchanadit districts disaster zones. These are in addition to five other districts that were previously declared disaster zones.

The water level in Narathiwat Province has declined significantly, but the Sungaikolok River’s water level is still higher than its banks by 1.3 meters while the water level of the Bangnara River is still higher than its banks by 50 centimeters.

If there is no more rain, the water level should stabilize soon.

The province has declared 13 districts disaster zones.

A total of 56 roads and 26 schools have been damaged by the flooding while one person has died.

In Pattani Province, 12 districts have been declared disaster zones. Flooding continues in areas bordering the Pattani and Saiburi rivers as the water level keeps rising due to runoff from Yala Province.

More than 200 houses in Baraho Subdistrict in Muang District have been submerged under two meters of flooding and no help has been provided in the area yet.

-- Tan Network 2011-11-28

[Mosha]

Here in Ranong it's been dry for 3 days, a slight breeze. A little cloudy but a lot of blue.

[elgato]

"is this the excess of flood water that has come from bangkok (and above)?"

If it's bkk water there's a long pipeline.

"or is this completely different flood water that originated 100% from the south of thailand?"

It's from the seasonal heavy rains in the south.

Edited November 28, 2011 by elgato