Floods forecast for many regions
Residents of Phitsanulok’s Noen Maprang district drive through the flood water on a small farm tractor.
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The Meteorological Department yesterday forecast heavy downpours in all regions of the country and warned residents of Mae Hong Son, Tak, Chiang Rai, Nan, Uttaradit, Sukhothai and Phetchabun in particular to be on alert.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation warned seven southern provinces to be prepared for possible floods, storms and landslides.
"Relevant authorities must closely monitor 267 risky spots and watch out for landslides," said Suwit Kaneekul, head of the department's office in Songkhla, one of the provinces for which the warning was issued, along with Phatthalung, Trang, Satun, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.
Suwit's warning came as a landslide in the southern province of Surat Thani briefly blocked traffic in Phanom district.
In the North meanwhile, flash floods yesterday ravaged four districts in Phitsanulok province - Noen Maprang, Wang Thong, Nakhon Thai and Chat Trakan.
Sirens were sounded across Noen Maprang district at around 2am yesterday.
"The sirens helped. There are no reports of casualties," Noen Maprang district chief Praphan Phu-ngarm said.
Pornsak Toothong, a janitor at Ban Pluak Ngarm School in Noen Maprang district, said torrents of water burst through the school's new wall and flooded the school to a depth of more than a metre.
The floods also damaged farmland and houses in the province.
In Chiang Rai province, more than 20 houses were submerged by floods in Mae Chan district. The provincial authority has asked its residents to brace for possible flash floods and mudslides.
In Uttaradit province, officials were closely monitoring the situation as heavy rain rapidly raised the water level in several local canals. Some villages in Tambon Pailom in Lap Lae district have already been flooded and residents of at-risk areas have been told to pack their belongings for possible evacuation.
In eastern Si Sa Ket province, about 15 homes in Wang Hin district have been affected by floods at least 50 centimetres deep for four days already. In the worst-hit spot, the floodwater level was one metre.
Heavy flooding in Nan last week caused more than Bt50 million worth of damage to schools in the northern province, according to a senior education official. At least 29 schools were forced to close down. All schools will resume classes today and students will be exempted from having to wear uniforms because some had lost theirs in the floods.
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