Floods Again

[bristolgeoff]

read a story they is a flood warning again going round ,has anyone heard if this is true or not.is the water rising again

[Mestizo]

Its true. Thai Meteorological Department issued flood warnings are posted here:

http://www.tmd.go.th/en/list_warning.php

-Mestizo

[hellodolly]

I don't think it is a concern here in Chiang Mai at this time of the year. Possibly later.

The reason I even mentioned possibly later is that I see drains are still not draining as fast as they did last year and it was many areas flooded by the water coming up them before the dam was opened.

Of course then with the crazy wether patterns we have been having any thing is possible.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

The key word in the advisory is 'flash' : Flash Flood from heavy, local rainfall. That wont' affect major cities on major rivers, but it's a risk for smaller mountain villages that are on streams that can rapidly expand.

[ARISTIDE]

More like flash flood. Nothing like what happen in BKK

[folium]

The key word in the advisory is 'flash' : Flash Flood from heavy, local rainfall. That wont' affect major cities on major rivers, but it's a risk for smaller mountain villages that are on streams that can rapidly expand.

A flash flood is just a flood that occurs very rapidly.

Flash flooding in theory can happen anywhere, rural or urban. It just implies that input of rainfall is so intense that it overwhelms the capacity of the drainage system (natural/human) to contain it.

Usually associated with tropical storms/cyclones, dam failures, rapid snow/ice melt or stalled weather systems, recent examples include Manila in 2009, Oklahoma City in 2010 and 2 cities in Mindanao, PH in 2011. It is possible to argue that New Orleans in 2005 was also an example of flash flooding due to the input of Karina and the catastrophic failure of the levee system. LA was hard hit by flash flooding in the 1930's hence the disappearance of the LA river and the creation of all the concrete spillways loved by movie directors for chase scenes etc

Bottom line if a city is unprepared or the input is just too heavy flash flooding can result.

Edited May 8, 2012 by folium

[TommoPhysicist]

Here is a flash flood in the village next to mine. I was about 5km from this.

Edited May 8, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[hellodolly]

The key word in the advisory is 'flash' : Flash Flood from heavy, local rainfall. That wont' affect major cities on major rivers, but it's a risk for smaller mountain villages that are on streams that can rapidly expand.

A flash flood is just a flood that occurs very rapidly.

Flash flooding in theory can happen anywhere, rural or urban. It just implies that input of rainfall is so intense that it overwhelms the capacity of the drainage system (natural/human) to contain it.

Usually associated with tropical storms/cyclones, dam failures, rapid snow/ice melt or stalled weather systems, recent examples include Manila in 2009, Oklahoma City in 2010 and 2 cities in Mindanao, PH in 2011. It is possible to argue that New Orleans in 2005 was also an example of flash flooding due to the input of Karina and the catastrophic failure of the levee system. LA was hard hit by flash flooding in the 1930's hence the disappearance of the LA river and the creation of all the concrete spillways loved by movie directors for chase scenes etc

Bottom line if a city is unprepared or the input is just too heavy flash flooding can result.

That would mean last year's flood in Chiang Mai as the result of opening the dam was a man made flash flood.

[folium]

The key word in the advisory is 'flash' : Flash Flood from heavy, local rainfall. That wont' affect major cities on major rivers, but it's a risk for smaller mountain villages that are on streams that can rapidly expand.

A flash flood is just a flood that occurs very rapidly.

Flash flooding in theory can happen anywhere, rural or urban. It just implies that input of rainfall is so intense that it overwhelms the capacity of the drainage system (natural/human) to contain it.

Usually associated with tropical storms/cyclones, dam failures, rapid snow/ice melt or stalled weather systems, recent examples include Manila in 2009, Oklahoma City in 2010 and 2 cities in Mindanao, PH in 2011. It is possible to argue that New Orleans in 2005 was also an example of flash flooding due to the input of Karina and the catastrophic failure of the levee system. LA was hard hit by flash flooding in the 1930's hence the disappearance of the LA river and the creation of all the concrete spillways loved by movie directors for chase scenes etc

Bottom line if a city is unprepared or the input is just too heavy flash flooding can result.

That would mean last year's flood in Chiang Mai as the result of opening the dam was a man made flash flood.

Not up to speed on dam releases causing the CM flooding last year, but certainly the floods in the lower Chao Phraya were exacerbated by the hasty release from the Bhumibol and Sirkit dams. But technically can't really be described as flash floods as they made an existing "conventional" flood situation worse, unlike those in Madeira in 2010 (check it out on YouTube for some impressive images).

[moe666]

When not in Thailand I live in Albuquerque, NM.. We have a mountain range on the east side of the city, it is actually part of the city. A few years ago one section recieved 7 in. of rain in 45 min. a girl tried to drive her car across the arroya and was swept away when the car was found not a speck of paint was found on the car and no mention of the condition of the girls body. Flash flood can happen anywhere any time. Our problem is a series of arroyas running down from the mountains thru the city down to the Rio Grande River, no rain in the city doesn't mean no water in the arroyas. Every year people get sweep away by water from rain in the mountains.

[CMX]

Nobody died or was seriously injured in the Boscastle flash flood. Villagers here are much more vulnerable, as is shown by last year's statistics.

I do not agree that dam management is necessarily responsible for flooding. When are the dams 'too full' - when there is not yet enough for irrigation needs? They serve two masters.

And nature, whether because of human intervention or not, is everywhere known as a definition of fickle. So called 'developed' nations are vulnerable, something obvious given recent tsunamis. Or hurricanes. And to tame nature in some degree is often beyond the means or abilities of nations, becoming unimaginably expensive the less predictable the risk. Here, larger dams would be immensely expensive; channeling projects might well reduce funds for education and/or other aspects of infrastructure. Nature is a bugger sometimes.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Here, larger dams would be immensely expensive; channeling projects might well reduce funds for education and/or other aspects of infrastructure.

The Bhumibol Dam is pretty big.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Bhumbol Dam is the 8th largest in the world, Very beautiful area and worth a visit.

But being half way between Cniang Mai and Bangkok it doest help up morth.

Last few days in the Chaing Mai night market are there has been 30 cm water in areas due to prro dranage and nothing more

But im sure the PM will insist it is all in our minds due to the hot weather. She did say there would be no more flooding in Thailand, I did hear her