Flooding in Thailand's northern provinces remain worrisome

[webfact]

Flooding in North remains worrisome



BANGKOK: -- Flooding in Thailand’s northern provinces remain worrisome while authorities warn residents living along the Chao Phraya river basin to brace for expected flooding from water runoff released by dam.

Sukhothai province in the north is hard hit by flood where the Yom river has overflowed bank and eroded river banks in Moo 7 of Pak Kwae of Muang district.

Some areas are now under a meter and a half high of flood water.

Sukhothai authorities have now declared five districts, as flood disaster areas. They are Srisatchanalai. Sawan Kalok, Sri Samrong, Kong Krai Ras an Muang districts.

Authorities warned residents to brace for another round of flood water which is now flowing down from Phrae province and will add more troubles to already flood-stricken areas.

In Phrae province, the Yom river now has surged over its banks and inundated Phrae town and the Pa Mat municipal area.

Nakhon Sawan also is hit by flooding with many districts under 20-30 centimeters high of flood water.

The National Disaster Warning Center Thursday warned residents living downstream along the Chao Phraya river to prepare for flooding as water level is now rising as the result of water released from dam.

The center’s director Group Captain Somsak Kaosuwan said the water level in the river will increase by 1-2 meters on September 9-10 after the Royal Irrigation Department started to discharge water from the Chao Phraya dam to receive more water from upstream.

He advised people living along the course of the Chao Phraya river, especially in Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, and Lopburi provinces, to brace for possible flooding.

They are advised to move their belongings to higher places as flooding may inundate some low-lying areas.

The water release will affect the lower reaches of the Chao Phraya river, the Noi river and the Pong Peng canal.

The Royal Irrigation Office 12 stated that a flood warning has been issued for a total of seven provinces located downstream from the Chao Phraya dam, consisting of Chai Nat, Uthai Thani, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya and Lop Buri.

The warning indicates that on September 8 the northern runoff is expected to cause the amount of water flowing into the Chao Phraya dam to increase significantly.

A rise of two meters could be expected in Chai Nat and one meter in Ayutthaya. Moreover, the Noi River in Ang Thong and Ayutthaya could be on the verge of overflowing.

Residents in the seven provinces whose homes and businesses are located adjacent to the rivers have been urged to move their belongings up high and off the ground to minimize damages from the flood. They are also advised to closely monitor the water situation.

Disaster relief officials, meanwhile, are fully ready to provide assistance for those in need.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/flooding-north-remains-worrisome/

-- Thai PBS 2014-09-05

[webfact]

Central region faces flooding as flow from dam to rise
The Nation


Residents in the northern province of Sukhothai move their belongings out of their flooded home yesterday.

Amid large run-offs from North, Chao Phraya to rise by a metre in days

BANGKOK: -- Several provinces in the Central region now face the risk of flooding as the Royal Irrigation Department has decided to release more water from a major dam upstream.

In a move to deal with the large run-offs from the flood-hit North, the department has increased the amount of water released from the Chao Phraya Dam.

This means that the level of water in the lower parts of the Chao Phraya River, especially the part running through Chai Nat province, would rise by a metre within days.

"It is very necessary to release more water now in order to prepare for run-offs in the Lower Chao Phraya River Basin," the department explained.

Udomsak Khaonoona, the disaster prevention and mitigation chief for Ayutthaya province, said all riverside districts in his province had already been warned of possible flooding.

"The level of Chao Phraya River is still 1.2 metres below the bank, but will probably rise by a metre by Monday," he said.

He added that water released from Chao Phraya Dam had been increased from 631 cubic metres per second to between 1,300 and 1,400 cubic metres.

Ayutthaya, which is just an hour's drive from Bangkok, has already seen concrete embankments going up along the riverbank and along the riverside Wat Chaiwatthanaram.

"We are worried that the water level will rise," a senior official of the Fine Arts Department said.

The Irrigation Office 12 has instructed governors of Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Anthong and Lop Buri provinces to encourage their riverside residents to start moving their belongings to higher ground.

Upstream provinces like Sukhothai have already been struggling with floods, with some zones in the province already under 1.5-metres of water.

Meanwhile, Bandit Inta, the irrigation chief in nearby Phitsanulok province, issued a warning on the risk of Yom River overflowing, with Muang, Phrom Phiram and Bang Rakam districts facing floods.

"It will overflow this weekend," he said.

The part of Yom River flowing through Bang Rakam district had already hit the 6.62m mark as of press time and was bound to overflow if it hit 7 metres. Yom is an upstream tributary of Chao Phraya River.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecast heavy downpours in several parts of the country, including the North.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Central-region-faces-flooding-as-flow-from-dam-to--30242584.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-05

[nitehawk56]

The Chao Phraya River has the Ping/Nan rivers that empties into it at Nakhon Sawan , not counting the various other rivers that empty into these rivers from the North, every year you see the same news, oh no, Bangkok is going to Flood again, and again the Powers to be have not done anything to prevent this from happening again, not only Bangkok, but all the other Provinces too, 6 months of Rain every year and 6 months for it to happen again.

[SOTIRIOS]

...one would think that a map could more clearly show the extent of the problem...

...and indicate other possible flooding locations as recently announced...

[norbra]

I wonder if Chalerm still has influence in this recurring issue of stockpiling water for rice growers

[thaipopsy]

If there are concerns about flooding in North Thailand.....there is panic in Bangkok.....where all that water is going........

[HappyinNE]

...one would think that a map could more clearly show the extent of the problem...

...and indicate other possible flooding locations as recently announced...

In my experience the ability to comprend a map is very restricted in this country. Unfornate but true.

[impulse]

...one would think that a map could more clearly show the extent of the problem...

...and indicate other possible flooding locations as recently announced...

Don't know how current it is, but here's a handy one... It was very useful back in 2011, even at very large magnification.

http://203.150.230.27/FloodMap/