‘Wipha’ whips up some storms and floods around Chiang Mai

PHOTOS: Entry to a local school turns into a river – The Nation

Flooded roads are slowing down traffic and movement around the Chiang Mai area as a result of the fallout from tropical depression ‘Wipha’ which crossed the North Vietnam coast, heading westward towards Thailand, over the weekend.

Om Koi district saw flooded road sections, while a large tree was toppled in gusty winds to block a section of road leading to Wat Doi Suthep in Muang district at 8.30am, holding up traffic while officials cut and cleared it away.

Officials were on guard for possible flooding at the road expansion site of the Ban Pang Fan in Pa Miang in Doi Saket district section of the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai Highway Number 118.

The Mae Kuang Udomthara Dam irrigation project director says the dam in Doi Saket had already halted the release of water after heavy rains in the area. The dam is only at 17.7% of its capacity, but had 1.67 million cubic metres of water pouring into it so far today. A total of 5.4 million cubic metres of water poured into the dam during August 1-5, while the water levels of wells and ponds also jumped due to the rainwater.

In Phayao, heavy downpours are causing floods in farmlands and low-lying homes in Chiang Kham and Dok Kham Tai districts, prompting district chiefs and local administrators to provide aid to the affected residents. A flood barrier behind Chaiyaphrom School collapsed sending floodwater to cover a one-kilometre-long section of the Ban La-Ban Chaiyaphrom road and make it impassable for all cars.

In Mae Hong Son’s Sop Moei district, a landslide on a 10 metre long section of the under-construction Ban Mae Lui Luang-Ban Mae Kui School made it impassable for cars, while many sections of roads throughout Tambon Mae Suad of Sop Mei also were inundated.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief reports that the flood and landslide situations in 38 districts of 13 provinces, which occurred in the past five days had all improved and officials were providing aid to the affected. A total of 2,642 household were affected while five bridges, one road and 12 fishing boats were damaged in the severe whether and flooding in 13 provinces of Phayao.

SOURCE: The Nation