Phichit, Phitsanulok Placed On Flood Alert

[Jai Dee]

Phichit, Phitsanulok placed on flood alert

Residents living along the Yom River in Phichit are bracing for possible flooding with water levels due to rise over the next two days.

“We are prepared for possible flooding, although there is little to be concerned about at present in Phichit because it has not rained for two days,” Governor Pinit Pitchayakan said yesterday.

Pinit ordered provincial officials to fine tune evacuation plans as floodwaters move south from Sukhothai over the next two days.

He added that water levels in the Nan River have dropped about two meters since Sunday. However, water levels in the Yom River remained high in some areas, including Sam Ngam district.

“The province is coordinating with the irrigation authorities to quickly drain water to prevent heavy flooding,” he added.

At least 5,000 rai of farm land remained under water yesterday in Bang Mun Nak and Pho Thale districts.

Officials are using pumps to drain areas that were flooded, Pinit said.

The Northern Meteorological Center yesterday warned that water levels in the Yom River would continue to rise as flood waters drain into the river. Areas likely to be affected include Kong Krailat district in Sukhothai, and Bang Rakam and Bang Krathum districts in Phitsanulok.

Residents in these districts should be ready to evacuate their homes, the center said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Thanasombat Sanguanratakes, from the Phitsanulok Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Center, said provincial officials are coordinating with officials at the district and local level with their flood-relief plans. “We actually prepare for flooding every year, but this year we started early because of flooding in the North,” he said.

Thanasombat said Phitsanulok has 400 flat-bottomed boats and 127 pumps on standby.

Officials yesterday warned residents of Noen Maprang and Wang Thong districts in Phitsanulok to be ready to evacuate their homes if rain exceeds 100 millimeters a day during the next two days.

“Noen Maprang and Wang Thong districts are vulnerable to mudslides during heavy rain,” he said.

Meanwhile, water levels continued to recede in Uttaradit and Sukhothai provinces, but parts of Muang, Si Samrong and Kong Krailat districts in Sukhothai remained under water.

In Tak province, parts of Ban Tak and Sam Ngao districts were under 30-50 centimeters of water.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the five heavily flooded provinces of the North remained at 77, with 39 persons still missing, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said yesterday.

Flooding in Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Phrae, Lampang and Nan has destroyed more than 500 houses and partially damaging at least 3,000. Hundreds of roads have been made impassable and many bridges destroyed. Scores of schools and government offices have been damaged. About 400,000 rai of agricultural land has been flooded and more than 17,000 cattle and more than 151,000 chickens killed.

National Parks’ Deputy Director-General Kasemsan Sanidhwong Na Ayutthaya, visited flood-affected areas yesterday. He said many trees had been uprooted in the floods.

“Besides rotten bamboo, most of the debris was small trees no more than 20-centimeters in diameter,” said Kasemsan.

“The department is preparing to remove the debris from reservoirs because it will spoil the water,” he said.

Source: ThaiDay - 30 May 2006