KHON KAEN: A wild storm damaged 357 houses and three temples at two villages in Chonnabot district on Sunday afternoon.
Duanpen Noramat, an assistant district chief, described the storm as the strongest in several decades. It hit the municipal area of Chonnabot district about 3.30pm.
Mrs Duanpen said she and other officials had inspected the storm-hit area. They learned that 357 houses in two villages had reported damage, some of it major.
Three temples were also hard-hit. At Wat Pho Srisa-ard in Chonnabot Municipality one side of the temple wall was knocked down by fallen trees.
Fortunately, there were no deaths or injuries. Overall damage was still being assessed.
Riab Tukaew, 59, of Moo 2 village, said she, her husband and their grandchildren were on the ground floor of their two-storey house when the rainstorm arrived. Gale-force wind blew away metal roofing sheets one after another. The storm lasted about 30 minutes, and by then the whole roof was gone. There was a lot of other damage, too, she said.
A storm relief centre was set up at the municipality office.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, a hailstorm moved through four villages in tambon Oraphim of Khon Buri district, beginning about 4.30pm. Damage was reported to about 30 houses, some barns and a temple.
Phra Khru Boonsueb, abbot of Wat Narak Oraphim, said the 20-minute storm caused severe damage to the sermon hall and two residences for monks.
Supansa Angkrathok, 40, of Moo 7 village, said the roof of her two-storey house was completely blown away.
Sasiwat Detadulsataya, chief of the tambon Oraphim disaster prevention and mitigation office, said requests for help were still being assessed.