Bangkok’s stormy wake-up call: Governor urges preparedness as capital weathers surprises

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged the city to be on high alert after storms hit the capital this week resulting in a number of unexpected incidents such as tree collapses, power outages, and flooding. This includes mobilising vehicles from various districts to facilitate the transportation of citizens in risk-prone areas. The command centre reported heavy rainfall yesterday in the Bang Na area.

The Bang Na area has Bang O and Bang Na canals for water drainage, which are operated by a major pump station capable of pumping 20 cubic metres of water per second. However, a fallen tree damaged a transformer at the pump station, causing a power outage and preventing the drainage of water.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) was promptly notified to expedite repair works, and power was restored around 9pm. The main issue was the unforeseen power outage, which has now been resolved. Future focus will be on the maintenance of trees near transformers and the installation of additional diesel pumps.

Another problem encountered was the difficulty faced by citizens commuting home due to the flooding. The long waiting time for motorcycle taxis led to a large number of people waiting for transportation. As a result, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had to mobilise vehicles from different districts to facilitate smoother transit.

Going forward, emergency preparedness measures will need to be implemented, along with a focus on caring for the citizens. The BMA will have to prepare vehicles to assist citizens at points that may have more problems, reported KhaoSod.

The Flood Control Centre of Bangkok reported rainfall in Bangkok over the past 24 hours (as of 7am) was moderate to heavy.

The highest rainfall was recorded at the Bang Na District Office of Bangkok at 153.5 millimetres, the Phra Khanong Pump Station at 132 millimetres, the Prawet-Lat Krabang Floodgate at 103.5 millimetres, and the Samsen-Saen Saep Pump Station in Huai Khwang District at 77 millimetres.

There have been reports of accelerated drainage at nine major road points in Bangkok. They include: Ratchawithi Road in Phaya Thai District, Tao Poon Intersection on Pracharat Road in Bang Sue District, in front of Big C-Maline Tower on Rama IV Road in Khlong Toei District, Sukhumvit Soi 26 in Khlong Toei District, the Chao Khun Sing Pumping Station on Lat Phrao Road in Wang Thonglang District, Bearing Soi on Sukhumvit Road in Bang Na District, in front of the Meteorological Department on Sukhumvit Road in Bang Na District, Bang Na Intersection on Sukhumvit Road in Bang Na District, and Udomsuk Soi 1 on Sukhumvit Road in Bang Na District.

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