Nakhon Ratchasima: Residents in low-lying areas of seven districts are being warned of flash floods after tropical storm Dianmu made landfall in Vietnam and brought heavy downpours to the province.
The rain has caused water volumes in its eight medium-scale reservoirs to exceed their holding capacity. Kobchai Boon-orana, Nakhon Ratchasima governor, yesterday sent warning letters to seven district chiefs and chiefs of those involved in local administration offices in Dan Khun Thot, Non Thai, Pra Thong Kham, Huai Thalaeng, Wang Nam Khieo, Khon Buri and Pak Thong Chai districts.
Mr Kobchai asked authorities to warn residents living near the reservoirs to keep a close watch on water levels as the reservoirs could spill into residential areas, flooding them.
Nakhon Ratchasima authorities reported yesterday that the eight reservoirs were Upper Lam Chiang Krai in Dan Khun Thot district, Lower Lam Chiang Krai in Non Thai, Nong Kok in Phra Thong Kham, Lam Chamuak in Huai Thalaeng, Ban San Khamphaeng, Ba Itan, Lam Chiangsa in Wang Nam Khieo and Huai Pliak in Khon Buri.
They said the Upper Lam Chiang Krai reservoir has been deluged by water, standing at 119% of capacity or 10 million cubic metres, causing water to overflow its spillway. The Lower Lam Chiang Krai reservoir in turn had reached 126% of its capacity.
The province needs to drain out water from the reservoirs to Lam Chiang Krai River which is rising and flooding riverside areas in the districts of Dan Khun Thot, Non Thai, Phra Thong Kham, Non Sung and Muang. Riverside dwellers are warned to keep their belongings in high areas, they said.
Kris Poonkasem, chief of Nakhon Ratchasima Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, also inspected the damage resulting from storm Dianmu in Dan Khun Thot district. He and his staff also visited the Upper Lam Chiang Krai reservoir to see how water had overflowed, saying 211 houses near the reservoir have already been flooded.
Somkiat Prajamwong, secretary-general of the Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR), said the office is monitoring the situation in the reservoirs.
Continued heavy rain, flooding and strong winds in 39 provinces in the North, the Northeast, the East and the Central Plains, including Bangkok, are likely as tropical storm Dianmu weakens. The storm has downgraded to an active low-pressure cell over Khon Kaen province in the Northeast.