Phichit flooding: Eight districts hit, 885 households submerged

The province of Phichit is currently grappling with severe flooding that has affected eight districts, with as many as 885 households submerged and damage to the local infrastructure. The situation has been worsened by the overflowing of the Nan and Yom rivers, leading officials to raise red flags, signalling the start of a flood crisis.

The water level in the Yom River, particularly in the area of ​​Sukhothai and passing through Bang Rakam district, Phitsanulok province, continues to flow into the Phichit area.

As of now, the water level at the Yom River measurement station, Way 17 in Sam Ngam district, has risen by 16 centimetres to 5.67 metres. The water level is just a metre below the flood line of 6.76 metres.

Several parts of the Yom River have already breached their banks, affecting households along its shores. In the area of Moo 1, Ban Chorakhe Phom, Rang Nok Subdistrict, Sam Ngam District, Phichit Province, over 60 houses have been flooded with water levels of 60 to 80 centimetres. The residents are having to navigate their inundated homes and streets using boats.

The situation has left many of the residents, especially the elderly, worried. Over 50 senior citizens have been unable to evacuate due to fears of flood-related dangers and are having to live in their flooded homes.

Most of them are living on the second floor of their houses, with some who have moved downstairs raising their tables and beds to avoid the water. Family members are constantly on alert to prevent any accidents from falling into the water.

Currently, four districts are affected by the overflow from the Yom River: Sam Ngam, Pho Prathap Chang, Bueng Na Rang, and Pho Thale. Rainwater from Phetchabun Mountain has also caused flooding in four more districts: Bang Mun Nak, Wang Sai Phun, Sak Lek, and Mueang Phichit. In total, eight districts, 12 subdistricts, 42 villages, 885 houses, and 1,125 rai of rice fields have been affected reported KhaoSod.

Aekachat Aiemtan, Director of Phichit Irrigation, visited the areas and installed red flags at the Nan and Yom Rivers’ crossing bridges as a symbol of the imminent flood crisis. He has advised residents living near the Nan and Yom Rivers in the Phichit area to urgently relocate their belongings and livestock to higher ground.

The water levels in the Yom and Nan Rivers that flow through several districts of Phichit Province are continually increasing due to a significant volume of water from the northern region and accumulated rainwater from Wang Thong and Phetchabun Mountains flowing downstream.

The latest water level at the Yom River measurement station Y-17, located near the Yom River crossing bridge in front of the Sam Ngam district office, is only a few centimetres below the flood line, similar to the Nan River at the N-7A measurement station near the White Bridge in Mueang Phichit district, where the water level is just 49 centimetres below the flood line.

Therefore, officials have raised the red flags to officially alert and prepare residents on both sides of the Nan and Yom Rivers for the impending crisis that could worsen Phichit flooding.

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