Weather Warning: Landslides And Flash Floods Wreak Havoc

[webfact]

Health Ministry ordered hospitals in 8 flash flood risk provinces to be fully prepared

BANGKOK, 6 June 2012 (NNT) The Public Health Ministry has instructed all health offices and hospitals in provinces at risk of flash flood to prepare themselves for any undesirable situation.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Buranasiri said on Tuesday that the ministry has instructed all provincial health offices and hospitals in 8 provinces, which are at risk of flash flood, to move all medical supplies and equipment as well as back-up generators to a safe location, in order to allow them to provide uninterrupted treatment to patients in need.

All 8 provinces likely to be affected by flash flood and mudslide include Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Phetchabun, Chanthaburi, Trat, Chumporn, Ranong and Phang Nga, according to the warning from the Meteorological Department.

The Health Minister also urged all to closely monitor weather updates around the clock and to prepare contingent evacuation plans, if needed.

Moreover, Mr. Witthaya said that health volunteers in all risk areas have been asked, as part of a preparation for the evacuation plan, to join health officials in identifying the locations of those who are considered major at-risk groups, which include pregnant women, the elderly, the physically-challenged, small children and those at home with chronic illnesses.

He also asked residents in all 8 provinces to prepare for any case of emergency and to constantly get weather reports from the Meteorological Department. In case that urgent assistance is required, the Health Minister suggested those in need to call the emergency rescue hotline number 1669, which is available 24 hours a day.

-- NNT 2012-06-06

[webfact]

Heavy rains cut lifelines

Landslides and flash floods wreak havoc

THAILAND: -- Landslides and flash floods caused by prolonged heavy rain have wreaked havoc in many parts of Chumphon, Ranong and Mae Hong Son provinces.

The storms, which began on Sunday night and subsided yesterday morning, flooded roads and homes, badly affecting thousands of people living in the three provinces.

In Chumphon, at least 500 families in two villages of tambon Banna in Muang district and a village in Hin Kaew of Tha Sae district were hit by flash floods with water levels reaching up to 2m in some areas.

Many roads were closed or impassable yesterday due to high water levels. A 1km stretch of the Asian Highway route 41 near Pathomporn intersection in Muang district was under about 20-80cm of water, making it impossible for small vehicles to pass.

Somchai Im-yu, director of the Hydrology and Water Management Centre for the Irrigation Department's Southern Region, said prolonged rain since Sunday night had triggered flash floods in several areas of the province.

Mr Somchai said the Chumphon canal had burst its banks and had flooded several low-lying areas.

Ranong's Kra Buri district was declared the hardest-hit area.

Some areas in Nam Jued municipality in Kra Buri district are under 50cm-1m of flood water. Hundreds of families in the municipality have also been hit.

A 500m-long stretch of the Petchkasem Highway linking Ranong with Chumphon near Kra Buri market was closed to all traffic yesterday.

Ranong governor Peerasak Hinmuangkao said he had told emergency services to evacuate people stranded in flood-prone homes in Kra Buri.

He has also ordered the urgent evacuation of people in flood-prone areas in Kapoe, Kra Buri and La-un districts.

In Mae Hong Son, heavy rains on Monday night triggered landslides, blocking access to Pakalo village in tambon Pang Moo of Muang district.

It took local authorities several hours yesterday to clear a path to the village.

Mae Hong Son governor Naruemol Palawat said she has warned people in Pai, Pang Ma Pha and Muang districts to expect further landslides and water run-off during the rainy season.

The Meteorological Department yesterday warned people in the North and East and in western parts of the South to prepare for heavy rain and possible flooding today and over the next few days.

The department said a low pressure front is now covering the North. The southwest monsoon over the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea will probably cause heavy downpours in these areas.

People living near hillsides and waterways in Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Phetchabun, Chanthaburi, Trat, Chumphon, Ranong and Phangnga should prepare for heavy rain and flash floods, the department said.

Choppy seas are expected in upper parts of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. All shipping should proceed with caution and small boats should stay in port today and the next few days, the department warned.

The cabinet yesterday earmarked 3.8 billion baht to build flood walls around six industrial estates in Ayutthaya and Pathum Thani which were badly hit in last year's flood crisis.

The work will be overseen by the Water Resources Management and Flood Control Committee chaired by Science and Technology Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi.

Construction of the walls will take about two months, he said.

Bangkok Post 2012-06-06

[george]

Weather forecast and current weather conditions for all Thai provinces:

http://weather.thaivisa.com

[webfact]

Flash floods hit Thailand's southern provinces

RANONG, June 6 – Several southern provinces have been hit by flash floods, triggered by heavy rain with one death reported in a storm-related road accident in the Andaman coastal province of Krabi.

Flooding in Ranong extends to five districts with no sign of abating while more flash floods and rains continue.

The governor met Wednesday morning with agencies concerned to assess the situation to help local residents.

In Krabi, storms hit several areas, damaging scores of houses and crops in the provincial seat.

One death was reported as a motorcycle crashed into a felled tree on a road.

A thousand small fishing boats in Satun have stayed ashore for a week due to strong winds and 2-3 metre waves in the Gulf of Thailand. Some seaside houses were damaged by smashing waves.

In Chumphon, Phinit Charoenpanit, governor reported the flood situation has extended to five districts and warned fishermen to beware of rough sea until the end of this week as rainfall continues.

A 200-metre portion of Asian Highway 41 in Sawi district is under 30-50cm water and is impassable for small vehicles.

In Ranong, flash flood hit almost all areas of Kra Buri district on Tuesday. A large number of people are stranded in their homes and officials used flat-bottomed boats to evacuate them to safe areas. Some houses were damaged by the flood.

A portion of Phetkasem Road, connecting Chumphon and Ranong, was flooded and impassable for small vehicles; some topsoil running down a mountainside blocked sections of the road.

Incessant rain triggered flash flood on Kra Buri mountain range, flowing into Chumphon canal, flooding houses, farmlands, roads in the provincial seat.

Tha Sae district was hit by a flash flood from the Tanaosri mountain range. Rescue workers helped evacuate local residents and move their belongings to higher ground.

The meteorological department on Wednesday reported a strong southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It warned of thundershowers being likely across Thailand, with isolated heavy to very heavy rain in the South

People in at risk areas along foothills and near waterways should beware of flooding conditions.

At risk areas include Chumphon, Surat Thani, Ranong, Phang-nga, Krabi and Trang.

Strong winds and waves of 2-3 metres are likely in the Andaman Sea and upper Gulf of Thailand. Shipping should proceed with caution; small boats should keep ashore for a few days. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-06-06

[george]

PHUKET:

@JamieMonk We're getting minor flooding in Patong, but it'll get worse quickly. Haven't been to the deep water port, uh, locations yet.

[johnlandy]

I thought that we were told that there was not going to be any flooding this year.

Oh well, mai mii pan hah. Get the zodiacs out again.

[Mosha]

It's finally stopped raining, really heavy rain earlier this morning in La-Un amd surrounding Tambons.

[tolsti]

still very windy here on the seafront at Patong.... radar doesnt show that much improvement either... http://www2.tmd.go.th/radar/pkt120Loop.php

[Lite Beer]

FLOODS

Flash floods hit south, heavy rains and high seas forecast

Thai News Agency, The Nation

Ranong

RANONG: -- Many southern provinces have been hit by flash floods, triggered by heavy rain with one death reported in a storm-related road accident in Krabi province.

Flooding in Ranong has extended to five districts with no sign of abating while more flash floods and rains continue, Thai News Agency online reported.

The governor met Wednesday morning with agencies concerned to assess the situation and provide help to local residents.

In Krabi, storms hit several areas, damaging scores of houses and crops in the provincial seat.

One death was reported as a motorcycle crashed into a felled tree on a road.

A thousand small fishing boats in Satun have stayed ashore for a week due to strong winds and 2-3 metre waves in the Gulf of Thailand. Some seaside houses were damaged by waves smashing on to the shore.

In Chumphon, Phinit Charoenpanit, governor reported the flood situation has extended to five districts and warned fishermen to beware of rough sea until the end of this week as rainfall continues.

The online agency said a 200-metre portion of Asian Highway 41 in Sawi district is under 30-50cm water and is impassable for small vehicles.

In Ranong, flash flooding hit almost all areas of Kra Buri district on Tuesday. A large number of people are stranded in their homes and officials used flat-bottomed boats to evacuate them to safe areas. Some houses were damaged by the flood.

A portion of Phetkasem Road, connecting Chumphon and Ranong, was flooded and impassable for small vehicles; some topsoil running down a mountainside blocked sections of the road.

Incessant rain triggered flash floods on Kra Buri mountain range, flowing into Chumphon canal, flooding houses, farmlands, roads in the provincial seat.

Tha Sae district was hit by a flash flood from the Tanaosri mountain range. Rescue workers helped evacuate local residents and move their belongings to higher ground.

The meteorological department on Wednesday reported a strong southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It warned of thundershowers across Thailand, with isolated heavy to very heavy rain in the South.

People in at-risk areas along foothills and near waterways should beware of flooded conditions.

At risk areas include Chumphon, Surat Thani, Ranong, Phang-nga, Krabi and Trang.

Strong winds and waves of 2-3 metres are likely in the Andaman Sea and upper Gulf of Thailand. Shipping should proceed with caution; small boats should stay ashore for a few days.

-- The Nation 2012-06-06

[Suradit69]

I thought that we were told that there was not going to be any flooding this year.

Oh well, mai mii pan hah. Get the zodiacs out again.

Give it a rest.

[CantSpell]

Weather forecast website very poor if you ask me.

For anyone not far from the coast lines, I strongly recommend:

http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=208472

data from offshore buoys, pretty accurate for same day or 2 days ahead.

[tormok]

I thought that we were told that there was not going to be any flooding this year.

Oh well, mai mii pan hah. Get the zodiacs out again.

Who told you there was not going to be any flash floods?

[MaxLee]

I told you this is just the beginning of an upcoming water world catastrophe

[starkey_rich]

Just had a storm go through Rawai Phuket.Worst I have seen in my 8 years here.

The wind was so strong it picked my heavy garden table and chairs up and tossed them a few meters away.

Quite scary as my house is surrounded by by tree's that were being bent double

[techboy]

After 2-5 days weather forcasting is not highly dependable. Those doggone public officials did not bother to invent a better technology! Those doggone public officials were too lazy to use their pschokinetic powers to control the occurance of natural disasters!

Edited June 6, 2012 by techboy

[starkey_rich]

I told you this is just the beginning of an upcoming water world catastrophe

Hub of Landslides

[george]

Wild monsoon weather interrupts Phuket power supply

Full story:

[baboon]

"The storms, which began on Sunday night and subsuded yesterday morning...."

No they bloody well didn`t.

[oops]

"The storms, which began on Sunday night and subsuded yesterday morning...."

No they bloody well didn`t.

Yes they bloody well did......they subsided everything in the storms path

[ratcatcher]

In a weather related item overseas,

The Royal Commission for Political Correctness announced today that

the climate in the UK should no longer be referred to as

'English Weather'

Rather than offend a sizeable portion of the

UK population, it will now be referred to as:

'Muslim Weather'

( Partly Sunni, but mostly Shi'ite )

[sjjmmi]

I told you this is just the beginning of an upcoming water world catastrophe

Hub of Landslides

Hub of Wild Monsoon's

[Razzler1973]

Is this one of those things or supposed to go on for months like last year?

[NomadJoe]

Just had a storm go through Rawai Phuket.Worst I have seen in my 8 years here.

The wind was so strong it picked my heavy garden table and chairs up and tossed them a few meters away.

Quite scary as my house is surrounded by by tree's that were being bent double

Agreed..never seen sustained winds and rain almost the entire day like that before. My poor Thai neighbors nearly lost a sizable portion of their roof. I heard a rumor that it the big umbrellas over the Home Pro center were shredded.

[Mosha]

Day after the quake we had 200+ mm of rain in Muang Ranong. I sispect more up in the hills. Why is it called driving rain? It's not fit to drive in.

[musicis1]

This seems like pure fear tactics. Is Thai visa owned by fox news?