Heavy rains bring flash flood threat to Thailand’s upper South
Upper South provinces have been warned to brace for heavy rains that could trigger flash floods and landslides until Friday, according to the Flood, Storm, and Landslide Relief Operations Centre.
The centre’s spokesperson, Jirayu Huangsap, said on Wednesday that upper South would see heavy rains in a couple of days, especially in Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces, with estimated rainfall at 100-140 millimetres.
He pointed out that the area could be at risk of flooding if rainfall exceeds 200 millimetres. People should follow reports from the centre and public agencies closely, he said.
Public agencies have already prepared equipment to deal with flooding in the upper South during the period, such as pumps, trucks and other machines, Jirayu said, adding that Yala Rural Road Office had deployed its machines to deal with traffic jams due to landslides in five areas across the province.
The Department of Mineral Resources has warned residents in Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Yala provinces to beware of flash floods and landslides from October 9-11, he added.
Jirayu expects the water volume on the Chao Phraya River to drop this week, saying that the Chao Phraya Dam in Chai Nat province has maintained water drainage at 2,199 cubic metres per second.
He assured that this year’s flood crisis would not be as severe as the crisis in 2011, explaining the dam’s water drainage at the time was 3,703 cubic metres per second. Rainfall in the North and Central had already reduced, he added.
Officials in Bangkok and Nonthaburi have prepared measures to prevent flooding in areas off the Chao Phraya embankment, he added.
The Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 2 and 3, as well as Bangkok-Chiang Mai train route have resumed operations, he said.
Many traffic routes in Chiang Mai have reopened and the Department of Highways and Department of Rural Roads had set up warning signs and facilitated traffic on inundated roads there, he revealed.
He said the centre officials had been tasked with preparing a database to mitigate risk of landslides in the North and Central, so the Department of Mineral Resources could issue warnings to residents in advance.
Jirayu noted that there was significant progress on restoration of residences in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district following the floods. He expects the restoration to be completed by the end of October.
As of Tuesday, the restoration progress was 63% completed, with 478 of 753 residences having been restored, he said.
