Flood chaos on Phuket’s main artery as first rain falls

[webfact]

Flood chaos on Phuket’s main artery as first rain falls
Eakkapop Thongtub


Flooding last night on Thepkrassattri Rd.

PHUKET: -- Heavy rain for the first time in months caused flooding and traffic jams in Thalang last night (March 31).

The rain flooded Thepkrassattri Rd, the island’s main north-south highway near the Thai Watsadu store. With water up to one metre deep in places, cars stalled, blocking the road, and causing delays for tourists trying to get to the airport.

Rescue teams from the Kusoldharm Foundation and Baan Nai Klam volunteers were called in to help clear the traffic.

Local politician Chalermpon Kerdsab blamed the flooding on local people filling low areas in a bid to avoid flooding in their homes. This, he theorised, obstructed run-off routes for water.

Municipal staff and volunteers spent more than three hours clearing the stalled cars but even then traffic flow was still slow. By morning, however, the floods had cleared.

The Thai Meteorological Department predicts more storms and heavy rain today, tomorrow and Thursday, and again at the weekend.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/flood-chaos-on-phuket%E2%80%99s-main-artery-as-first-rain-falls-45450.php


-- Phuket News 2014-04-01

[callaway]

For the love of me I cannot believe the selfishness of the people who back filled the areas around their house to prevent the flooding of their homes. They should have let all their homes and furniture go under water so that the flooding did not come out onto the streets. Better for them to live in a house under 2 foot of water than the rescue services having to push cars out of flooded areas. It is not the drivers fault that they drove into a mass of water and theirs cars stalled causing traffic problems. It is the fault of those miserable people trying to protect their homes. I guess a better drainage system has never been contemplated? Better for those selfish people to sleep in their homes surrounded by a lake. Can you believe the sh£t these politicians come out with?

[stevenl]

For the love of me I cannot believe the selfishness of the people who back filled the areas around their house to prevent the flooding of their homes. They should have let all their homes and furniture go under water so that the flooding did not come out onto the streets. Better for them to live in a house under 2 foot of water than the rescue services having to push cars out of flooded areas. It is not the drivers fault that they drove into a mass of water and theirs cars stalled causing traffic problems. It is the fault of those miserable people trying to protect their homes. I guess a better drainage system has never been contemplated? Better for those selfish people to sleep in their homes surrounded by a lake. Can you believe the sh£t these politicians come out with?

I think there may be a problem in translation here. The problem is all land not in use is getting build on, and all water run off ways are disappearing quickly.

[keestha]

The Thepkrassattri Rd is dangerous for out of towners! You have to be aware it floods very easily, and frequently at unexpected places suddenly there are the orange hats on the road to facilitate U-turns so that you have to keep left.

[Valentine]

The Thepkrassattri Rd is dangerous for out of towners! You have to be aware it floods very easily, and frequently at unexpected places suddenly there are the orange hats on the road to facilitate U-turns so that you have to keep left.

Yes many places get water next to the traffic island & if you hit the water at speed all of a sudden you are blinded by a gush of water over your windscreen. It does not take a flood for this to happen, just bad drainage & slope on the road. the traffic cones are another issue & helpful for the U turners but they are not always there so occasionally forget get over to the left & then suddenly you are upon them.

[smotherb]

For the love of me I cannot believe the selfishness of the people who back filled the areas around their house to prevent the flooding of their homes. They should have let all their homes and furniture go under water so that the flooding did not come out onto the streets. Better for them to live in a house under 2 foot of water than the rescue services having to push cars out of flooded areas. It is not the drivers fault that they drove into a mass of water and theirs cars stalled causing traffic problems. It is the fault of those miserable people trying to protect their homes. I guess a better drainage system has never been contemplated? Better for those selfish people to sleep in their homes surrounded by a lake. Can you believe the sh£t these politicians come out with?

Why are people trying to save their property being selfish? The infrastructure sucks, and the politicians are to blame. Are the residents supposed to pay over and over again everytime it floods--if you don't live there, you don't need to be on the roads; if you got stuck there, that's your tough luck.

[NamKangMan]

For the love of me I cannot believe the selfishness of the people who back filled the areas around their house to prevent the flooding of their homes. They should have let all their homes and furniture go under water so that the flooding did not come out onto the streets. Better for them to live in a house under 2 foot of water than the rescue services having to push cars out of flooded areas. It is not the drivers fault that they drove into a mass of water and theirs cars stalled causing traffic problems. It is the fault of those miserable people trying to protect their homes. I guess a better drainage system has never been contemplated? Better for those selfish people to sleep in their homes surrounded by a lake. Can you believe the sh£t these politicians come out with?

I think there may be a problem in translation here. The problem is all land not in use is getting build on, and all water run off ways are disappearing quickly.

I agree. This is also causing new flood prone areas to be created. As construction is happening so fast here, it's hard to tell where the next flood area will be.

Areas that never used to flood, will flood, in the future.