Four more subdistricts in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai brace for flood
More misery to come for residents of parts of Chiang Rai as the after-effects of storm Yagi cause waterways to overflow
The northern province of Chiang Rai has warned residents in four subdistricts of Mae Sai district to prepare for floods from Wednesday onward.
The four areas expected to be inundated are Sri Muang Chum, Koh Chang, Pong Pha and Pong Ngam subdistricts, the province’s Public Relations Department said.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the department urged people in these areas to move their belongings to higher ground and follow weather updates closely.
The department added that the provincial governor held an urgent meeting on Tuesday night with relevant agencies to get an update on the latest flood situation in the province.
It is reported that two villages in Mae Sai subdistrict, Piyaporn and Ban Koh Sai, were hit with flash flooding on Tuesday evening, with water levels too high for large vehicles to enter and provide aid to villagers.
The province’s flood response centre reported that 71 people have been evacuated from their houses in Mae Sai subdistrict and are now staying at temporary shelters.
The department said that the province is in urgent need of rubber boats, which can withstand strong torrents of water better than the flat-bottomed boats it has.
Several areas in Mae Sai district were hit by flooding on Tuesday morning after the Sai River burst its banks, overflowing into villages including Ban Tham Pha Jom, Ban Koh Sai, Ban Mo Lung Chon, Ban Pham Kwai and Ban Muang Daeng.
The district has been hit with heavy downpours since Sunday, when the Yagi storm was downgraded into a tropical depression over Vietnam, but influenced rainfall over the North and upper Northeast of Thailand.
To donate foods and necessities for flood victims in Mae Sai, contact 081 796 2095.
