Thai South Reels Under Floods

[webfact]

South reels under floods

The Nation

The flood situation in nine southern provinces remains critical, with roads closed and train services halted due to high-level inundation and many villages engulfed in mudslides.

Another 84 villages, all in Ranong, are at risk of mudslides, according to the latest warning released yesterday. Twenty-one of them are located in high-risk areas in Muang, Kapoe, La-un, Suk Samran and Kra Buri districts.

The entire Lang Suan district in Chumphon has been isolated after a flash flood surrounded it last night, submerging all roads connecting it with the outside world. Many thousands of residents have been complaining about shortages of food and drinking water. A large portion of neighbouring Phato district is facing a similar situation, after abrupt forest floods cut it off from other areas.

A large number of homes in low-lying areas around a market have been flooded, with residents moving up to the second floor. Local radio announcements reported many phone calls asking for help and urgent supplies of food.

Route 4 and Route 41 sections in Lang Suan district have been submerged, prompting police to divert traffic to shortcuts and impose reversible lanes, creating heavy traffic congestion, as a huge number of holidaymakers return to Bangkok as the four-day New Year holiday break ends today.

Citing a weather forecast, provincial governor Phinij Charoenphanich said more heavy rain was likely for another day or two while urging residents living near the base of hills to brace for landslides and trawlers not to go offshore because of high seas.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, a long crack on a mountain in Ron Phibun has caused panic to local residents with fears of falling rocks while all schools have closed until next Monday due to heavy flooding. An Air Asia flight braved a thunderstorm to land at a local airport with a load of frightened passengers. Nok Air and Orient Thai airways have called on prospective passengers to monitor weather reports and flight schedules on a constant basis.

A situation update from Nop Phitam district has not been available as power poles were felled by strong currents and most areas in the district have poor mobile phone signals. The district has been regarded as "completely isolated" and has seen many incidents of mudslides, said district chief Preecha Khumwong.

Ten local and long-distance trains running from and to Bangkok have halted service, said railway chief official Salaidej Saengphayak. Passengers are being transported to destinations on chartered buses while they can refund tickets for suspended trains at full price, he added.

Shelters have been set up at schools for flood evacuees from many areas in Muang municipality, where an estimated several thousand homes are under floodwater. The district’s wholesale farm product market - the largest in the South - has also been submerged, resulting in damage to a large number of products, prompting vendors to sell at low prices.

Tha Sala hospital, which was heavily inundated in the extreme flooding of last April, has evacuated 50 patients to other hospitals while medical equipment and supplies are still sufficient but at the ready to be moved up in case floodwater levels rise, said hospital director Kitti Rattanasombat.

A nine-year-old girl drowned yesterday in Yala’s Muang district, where 51,189 people from 15,300 families had been affected and 1,645 others evacuated, and 4,640 rai of farmland and 40 fish farms submerged or damaged. There has not been official confirmation whether the girl’s death was the first in the current South floods.

Their Majesties the King and Queen have provided relief supplies and other assistance, through local authorities, to owners of seven homes in Narathiwat’s Rue Soh district which had been destroyed completely by forest flooding.

-- The Nation 2012-01-04

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One child drowns in southern flood

YALA, Jan 4 – A nine-year old girl reportedly drowned in Yala as heavy rainfall triggered flooding in nine southern provinces, according to Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.

The child, identified as Sareeta Sa-u, drowned in Yala in a raging river. Homes, schools and government offices have been submerged, affecting over 50,000 people.

Constant rain in the lower southern provinces since Saturday triggered flooding and flash floods in the southern provinces, including Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, Phatthalung, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Chumphon.

The disaster agency is working with agencies concerned to provide flat-bottomed boats and other equipment to help evacuate flood victims.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra asked the defence minister to direct the Army to help flood victims in the South, said defence ministry spokesman Col Thanathip Saengsawang Tuesday.

The Fourth Army Region set up 21 flood relief centres in cooperation with other agencies to support flood relief operations.

Personnel, boats, equipment, and mobile medical units have been deployed to flood-stricken areas to evacuate people to temporary shelters and to distribute food, flood relief supplies to affected residents.

In Narathiwat, flood relief supplies, granted by Their Majesties the King and Queen, were distributed to flood victims in Narathiwat’s Ruso district after a flash flood had swept away seven houses. The situation returned to normal and medical teams treated and gave medicine to villagers.

Narathiwat Governor Apinun Suethanuwong on Tuesday visited 163 displaced persons at a temporary shelter in Sungai Kolok district and distributed flood relief supplies.

He then surveyed damage to seek a national government assistance budget and to observe the water level at the Sungai Kolok River at the Huasaphan community where the water level is 1.30 metres.

The governor said that emergency response workers are surveying damage for the data to back up an assistance budget request. It will be completed by next week.

This year’s rainfall is more than that of last year, he said, noting that the province dredged canals to prepare for possible flooding.

The local disaster prevention and mitigation office’s overall damage survey in Narathiwat reports that 63,649 persons have been affected and 98 roads damaged. Sungai Kolok is the hardest hit district. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-01-04

[Lite Beer]

Nakhon Si Thammarat declared disaster zone

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, Jan 4 – The entirety of Nakhon Si Thammarat province has been declared a disaster zone, while one person has been reported missing in Surat Thani.

Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial authorities declared all 11 districts disaster zones. So far, more than 100,000 residents have been affected by the flooding.

Although rainfall stopped in this southern province on Wednesday morning, residents of Nopphitam district, hard hit by a flash flood, are living in difficulty as many roads and bridges were damaged. Villagers must use a rope bridge to carry food into areas isolated by the floods. Students cannot travel to schools and many schools have been forced to close.

Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Vichaidit in his capacity as interior minister said the overall situation is improving as the flood quickly receded. The situation in Nakhon Si Thammarat, however, remains worrisome, so he will visit the province on Thursday.

Mr Yongyuth said the government is fully supporting the flood-hit provinces as they tackle their urgent problems. Those provinces have promptly provided immediate relief services to their residents through local government agencies.

Each province put urgent measures in place to tackle flood problems and the central agencies are ready for backup. Soldiers, government workers, and volunteers are working together with local disaster prevention and mitigation offices, he said.

"The government has not been lagging in its response to flooding in the South as accused by the Opposition,” he said. "The issue is on the agenda of today’s cabinet meeting.”

In Surat Thani, emergency workers tried to reach over 30 villagers stranded in Thauthae subdistrict of Kanchanadit district after a flash flood hit the area. The rescue effort faced difficulty as the current was very strong.

Kanchanadit District Chief Sanit Sriwihok said a fisherman was missing after his boat was overturned by high waves. A search and rescue operation is under way. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-01-04

[Lite Beer]

City normalising after flood recedes in Chumphon

CHUMPHON, Jan 4 – Flooding in Chumphon’s Lang Suan district eased on Wednesday after being affected by a flash flood for the past two days.

The floodwaters receded in about 70 per cent of the district, and remains in only a few districts and waterlogged farmland due to high tides.

In Lang Suan municipality, which was under 1.5 of water Tuesday, the flood receded and the situation returned to normal at 2am Wednesday. Local residents began cleaning their homes and dismantled sandbag barriers in preparation of reopening their shops.

After the flood receded, Lang Suan Hospital is moving 21 male patients back to the Men’s Inpatient Ward today after they were moved to another building yesterday to escape the flood.

The hospital is repairing its water pumping system and it is expected to be finished later today. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-01-04

[Mosha]

Ranong has already had way more than January's normal average. I didn't know we had been warned of potential mudslides here in La-Un.

[Lite Beer]

Two teenagers drown in flood-hit Nakhon Si Thammarat

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT, Jan 4 – Police believe that the bodies of two teenagers found in a canal in this provincial seat were swept away by this week’s flash flood and drowned.

Police said the bodies of two male teenagers identified as Kamin Suwanwigo and Chalermkiat Manin, both 15, were found in the Wang Rak irrigation canal in Chaimontri sub-district.

The initial investigation found that the two were riding a motorcycle along the canal, heading to the main road, Na Pru-Benjama, but were carried away by the sudden strong current.

Both young men and their motorcycle were dragged by the raging waters into the irrigation canal where they drowned.

Speaking to the media after today’s cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she had instructed Interior Ministry, the Flood Relief Operations Centre (FROC), and the military to closely monitor the flood situation in the southern provinces and to promptly extend assistance.

The interior ministry would issue emergency funds to help the flood-hit provinces while FROC will care for the flood victims, with help from soldiers dispatched by the military to help flood victims, Ms Yingluck said.

She said the cabinet assigned appropriate agencies to ensure that the disaster warning system would work properly and effectively.

Defence Minister Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapa said the military deployed its personnel to help the flood victims in the South since Monday. Military engineer units would be sent to repair damaged roads and clear areas affected by mudslides.

He pledged that the government would do its best to help the flood victims.

Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha said he assigned Fourth Army Region commander Lt-Gen Udomchai Thammasarorat to set up a disaster prevention centre at the Fourth Army Region headquarters and to dispatch military personnel to the flooded areas.

He said some 10,000 troops were at work in the areas and Gen Udomchai gave assurance that the situation was under control.

Gen Prayuth said the Army Engineers Department, the Army Disaster Relief Centre and the army engineer units from the First, Second and Third Army Regions headquarters stand ready to provide heavy equipment and personnel to support rescue operations if the Fourth Army Region headquarters asks for help.

The army chief said he instructed his subordinates to give priority to the most affected areas particularly the transportation of the residents, reduce danger from flash flood, in particular from Khao Luang Mountain in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani.

The situation is worrisome as rain kept falling over the mountain and it mountain could absorb only limited amount of water, which could eventually cause mudslides, he warned.

Gen Prayuth said the agencies concerned including Royal Thai Navy and Marine Police were coordinating to help rescue residents and tourists stranded on some islands. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-01-04

[Thunder26]

The pattern of heavy rainfalls continue this year. So far this January Nakonsi Tammarat has seen about 600 mm of rain (400 mm in a day), which is astonishing. That is about what London gets in a year. Even some Central and Northern parts has seen rain this month, especially today with rainfalls above average.

http://tmd.go.th/en/climate.php

[Mosha]

Not boding well, if this continues. Just wait for the rains to kick in.

[sbk]

Like the heavy floods earlier this year weren't enough