Flash floods hit Khon Kaen, wider Northeast

KHON KAEN: -- Floods triggered by heavy downpours on Friday submerged urban areas of Khon Kaen, in the heart of Thailand's northeastern region, paralysing traffic on major roads.

Meanwhile, financial assistace has reached areas in the flooded North.

Khon Kaen municipality was submerged under 60 centimetres of floodwater triggered by heavy rain continuing for over an hour Friday morning.

Many residences and shops in low-lying areas were flooded, while nemerous vehicles stalled in the middle of the flooded roads and had to be pulled out with the help of a recovery trucks operated by police and local disaster mitigation workers.

The Northeastern Meteorological Centre Friday predicted more heavy rain in Khon Kaen and other provinces in the region, including Nong Khai, Sakhon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Mahasarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Ratchasima and Roi-et.

The centre warned residents in those provinces to brace for possible flooding during the next few days.

In the North, Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya and Deputy Finance Minister Varathep Ratanakorn visited Uttaradit, the worst-hit province when floods and mudslides devastated five northern Thai provinces from May 21-23.

The duo dispersed financial aid to affected residents who have suffered losses -- both in terms of the lives of their loved ones and their property. .

The finance ministry has so far provided financial aid of Bt27 million for flood-affected residents in Uttaradit and the nearby provinces of Sukhothai, and Phrae.

As part of the financial aid provided by the finance ministry, 83 children orphaned by the catastrophe were given Bt10,000 each, together with survival kits and necessities, while those whose homes were damaged received Bt5,000 each.

Besides, each of the three provinces was provided with a relief fund of Bt1.6 million.

The ministry plans to provide similar aid to affected people in Nan, and Lampang later.

According to the Interior Ministry's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, last month's storms and their aftermath in the five northern provinces--Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Phrae, Nan and Lampang--killed 87 persons, 75 in Uttaradit.

Twenty-nine persons remain missing, 28 of whom were Uttaradit residents.

--TNA 2006-06-24

Question;

Is this weather normal or part of global warming?

Question;

Is this weather normal or part of global warming?

Maybe the "La Nina" phenomenon?

Question;

Is this weather normal or part of global warming?

The weather is absolutely normal for the time of year i.e. intense rainfall for shorter or longer periods at any time from May - October in Northeast Thailand, with heaviest rainfall events likely in August-early Oct when typhoons originating in South China Sea can dump up to 300 mm of rain in a day or two. What is abnormal is the ground conditions the heavy rainfall experiences on reaching earth. Instead of forest cover over wide areas of Isaan as in past, now there are massive areas of denuded earth and croplands, where infiltration is less than before. However, in the case of Khon Kaen city, the rain now hits concrete, asphalt and san-ga-see over a wide area, while drains are inadequte to cope with the resulting run-off. Meanwhile, low-lying areas of the city and swamps which previously acted as receptacles of storm water have mostly been infilled and built over, exacerbating the problem. The result is episodes of flooding as on Friday, as happens in most other Thai cities at this time of year when rainfall exceeds infiltration and run-off capacity.

Quite predictable and quite avoidable, with a little foresight and strict city planning applied.

I got caught out in the rain in Khon Kaen last Friday and it was quite a sight. The water was coming back up from the drains in a mini fountain. By the afternoon it had all gone though. At least it had the decency not to rain at rush hour either end of the wroking day.

Plachon's comment above

"Quite predictable and quite avoidable, with a little foresight and strict city planning applied. "

says exactly why it will continue to happen !

TIT: Same every year:

how did banpaed fare anyone know?