The Floods of 2011

[PeteC]

This subject is at the point now where it needs its own thread. It may very well go down in Thai history as the worst disaster ever before it's all over, and it doesn't look to be over until well into November. There is too much in the news to post here and those interested should check with The Nation and Bangkok Post on-line editions daily. Key stories can be posted here as things progress.

The latest hot item is that the Cabinet deliberates this morning to not only declare a state of emergency (finally), but also to declare a holiday for the rest of the week, at least in Bangkok. Other recent stories:

There won't be any new Honda automobiles for a while. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/new/bus ... 67351.html

hf.jpg (23.83 KiB) Viewed 9812 times

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2 ... n-hit-hard

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/new/nat ... 67332.html

[Troyron]

What is it like in HH?

[PeteC]

What is it like in HH?

No worries about floods there except perhaps a brief one after a very heavy rain. Pete

[BingoBango]

Does anyone know if the airport in bangkok is affected or is likely to be affected by the floods in the coming days.

[PeteC]

Does anyone know if the airport in Bangkok is affected or is likely to be affected by the floods in the coming days.

So far it's fine. The place is built on reclaimed land and they put in an extremely heavy duty drainage system. Floods are anticipated in areas just east of Bangkok, but not as far east as the airport. If the airport is at risk it will be front page news immediately, so stay tuned to the above newspapers. Here are the links again. Pete

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/new/

[BingoBango]

cheers, i'm not their until November 15th

[usual suspect]

B.B...if you're coming in on the Emirates flight on the 15th I may share a taxi down with you.. :-)

[pharvey]

Have just been watching this on the news - not looking good at all, and no sign of any let up it seems.

Over 250 reported killed so far.

This has obviously also got to be devastating for crops (and possibly livestock), so the effects of this are going to be felt for quite some time down the road.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15217984

[Nereus]

Suvarnabhumi airport 'well protected'

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... -protected

The 23.5-kilometre earth dyke surrounding Suvarnabhumi international airport has been reinforced as part of the measures taken to prevent it from flooding, the airport's spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Wilaiwan Nadwilai said Suvarnabhumi airport officials have drawn up a plan to prevent flooding and met with representatives of airlines, businesses and government agencies about immediate steps to take when the floodwaters from the North arrive in Bangkok in a few days.

The Rural Roads Department has been asked to quickly dredge Lat Krabang canal to improve the flow of water to the south.

In the area south of Suvarnabhumi airport, the Royal Irrigation Department will drain water out to the sea as necessary.

Suvarnabhumi airport itself is surrounded by a 23.5km long, three metre-high earth dyke. It was being checked and reinforced.

Inside the area protected by the dyke there are canals to drain water into six reservoirs which can hold a total of four million cubic metres of water, she said.

There are two water pumping stations suth of the airport. Each station has four pumps which can handle 12 cubic metres of water per second, or one million cubic metres of water per day.

Ms Wilaiwan said the airport management has confidence in its preparedness to cope with any threat of flooding.

[PeteC]

.....The latest hot item is that the Cabinet deliberates this morning to not only declare a state of emergency (finally), but also to declare a holiday for the rest of the week, at least in Bangkok.......

Both measures failed in the Cabinet today. No state of emergency, and no holiday. I can understand the latter as they need civil servants to handle flood relief. The former....probably
don't want to empower the military too much IMO. Pete

[caller]

There's not a lot of point in having an airport free from flooding if all around isn't!

[PeteC]

Another new location. Pete

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakin ... 67597.html

Khon Kaen flooded, 1,000 families evacuated
October 13, 2011 4:08 am
Khon Kaen has declared its 26 districts as disaster areas due to floods, provincial governor Sombat Triwatnusorn said on Thursday.

"The inundation has worsened because the water retention at Ubonrat Dam is at 120 per cent of capacity, prompting the spillway to open," he said.

Sombat said excess water was released at 53 million cubic meters per day. At some areas within the Khon Kaen town, the water level rose to three meters, triggering the emergency evacuation of more than 1,000 families, he said.

Eight of 26 districts faced inundation at critical level.

The Nation

EDIT: I know some of you have Thai families there. Good idea to give them a call.

[STEVE G]

Here is something to watch out for for anyone needing to travel to the Northeast on Highway 1:

Phahon Yothin highway inundated

A section of Phahon Yothin highway between kilometre markers 51-85 has been closed to traffic since it is now about 2 metres under water, reports said.
Motorists have been advised to avoid this section of the highway linking Ayutthaya's Wang Noi district with Saraburi.
Maha Chulalongkorn Ratchawitthayalai, a Buddhist university at Wang Noi, has been flooded. The water level in the campus is about 1.20m. A large number of monks and laymen have been mobilised to remove more than 10,000 copies of the Tripatika to high ground.
Vehicles heading for the Northeast are advised to take the Rangsit - Ban Na - Nakhon Nayok road or Highway 304 instead.
As of 11am, it was reported that a large amount of water had leaked through levees south of Hi-Tech Industrial Estate in Ayutthaya's Bang Pa-in district.
Evacuation of people out of the industrial estate had begun because it was feared that the existing floodwalls would soon collapse.
(Bangkok Post)

[Nereus]

This is the next problem:

Flood toll rises, traffic jams up

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/transpo ... raffic-jam

Traffic was jammed up on the road from Rangsit in Pathum Thani province, on Bangkok's outskirts, to Nakhon Nayok after the Phahon Yothin highway was closed due to heavy flooding in Ayutthaya's Wang Noi district, the Highways Department announced on Thursday.

The department said vehicles began to get stuck on the road from noon today when traffic was nearly at a standstill along about eight kilometres of the road from Khlong Rangsit 1 to Khlong Rangsit 7.

After the closure of the Phahon Yothin highway, northeast-bound motorists were advised to use the Rangsit - Nakhon Nayok road.

From Rangsit, they could still proceed to Saraburi via Wihan Daeng and Ban Na districts - but the roads are now heavily congested.

This morning, authorities closed a section of Phahon Yothin highway between kilometre markers 51 and 85 because it was about two metres under water.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Wibul Sanguanpong said 26 provinces are still hit by floods and the confirmed death toll from the flooding has gone up to 283 with two people still missing.

The 26 provinces are Sukhothai, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Chachoengsao, Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri, Roi-et, Kamphaeng Phet, Tak and Ratchaburi.

Altogether 225 roads remain inundated and impassable.

Mr Wibul said there may be widespread rain and heavy rain in some areas on Oct 14 to 15 in six provinces because of the monsoon.

Areas risky of forest run-off and mudslides are Den Chai district of Phrae province; Si Satchanalai district of Sukhothai; Lap Lae district of Uttaradit; Makham, Khao Khitchakut and Khlung districts of Chanthaburi; Koh Chang, Khao Saming, and Bo Rai districts of Trat; and Takua Pa district of Phang Nga.

The department also issued a warning for people in four southern provinces to brace for flash floods and landslides during the next few days.

People living near hillsides and waterways in Kapong and Takua Pa districts of Phang Nga, Muang and Khao Phanom districts of Krabi, Muang, Thalang and Krathu districts of Phuket and Suksamran district of Ranong should prepare for flash flooding and possible landslides today and the next few days, it warned.

[Bamboo Grove]

These photos are of good quality and show how schocking the situation is.

http://m.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/1 ... nd/100168/