Floods and water shortages.

[Anton]

Flooded roads downtown Korat following yesterday's heavy rain.

Same story repeated after heavy rain this afternoon. Municipality under criticism for insufficient maintenance of draining system, but it's also a matter of general cleanliness IMHO (too much rubbish on roads everywhere: see reply no. 11, too).


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq2SO7c6hXk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq2SO7c6hXk</a>

[Wizard]

I was returning on a bus from Bangkok about 4;30PM and in front of Save One Market on the secondary road the water looked at least a half meter deep. There was a car and pickup on the road, which apparently flooded out. It really looked like a river. I thought they
had solved Save One's Flooding years ago?

[Anton]

The area immediately north of Lam Takong, normally subject to flooding, was not affected these days as far as I could judge (I live there). It really seems to be a matter of slow drainage due to general neglect in most heavily populated neighbourhoods. I wonder if situation in other Isaan cities, say Khon Kaen and Udon Thani, is the same as here. To be fair I shall add that last July a team of military recruits, supervised by municipal workers, came to do some weeding on the Lam Takong shores around here.

[Anton]

If I understand well, this news report claims that yesterday's street flooding downtown Korat was due to "several consecutive hours of heavy rain" or "a long count of consecutive hours of heavy rain" (ฝนตกหนักติดต่อกันนานนับชั่วโมง). From what I remember, though, yesterday's heavy rain didn't last more than one hour. Poster of video in reply no. 20 says "less than one hour".


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnToZtMGHVA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnToZtMGHVA</a>

[Anton]

I thought they had solved Save One's Flooding years ago?

Apparently not at all, they held an urgency meeting yesterday about it. Will some keen Thai member graciously help us understand what they are saying in this report?


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EreOO9VhUeU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EreOO9VhUeU</a>

[Alfie]

I don't think the report said much, Anton. It reported there was a meeting, where the meeting took place (the meeting room of Save One), who was at the meeting, and the topic of the meeting - flloods at Save one. They said it has flooded six times so far this year. Solutions might have been talked of in the final part of the video but unfortunately the sound quality is poor, with a lot of background noise so I couldn't quite make out what the guy said.

[Anton]

I don't think the report said much, Anton. (cut)

Thank you Alfie.

[Anton]

Last night:


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzCTSUJ-aEc" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzCTSUJ-aEc</a>


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wavy_Nsqqk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wavy_Nsqqk</a>

[waterheart]

This was flood on Mittrapap Road in front of my house on 11 September.   

[Anton]

40 provinces warned of heavy to very heavy rain today and tomorrow as tropical storm Doksuri may hit the country coming from Vietnam and Laos. List of provinces at risk at 0:50 (Nakhon Ratchasima not there).


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A47u_OxR50" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A47u_OxR50</a>

[Anton]

The proposal of how to solve Korat's flooding problem once and for all by a former consultant to the Minster of Industry, now consultant in Ban Mai subdistrict.


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmI6CpfuzjA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmI6CpfuzjA</a>

[Anton]

A 30 minutes broadcast on KCTV's "Korat Channel", dedicated to the problem of quick flooding in Korat:


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC6O_TeNyu0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC6O_TeNyu0</a>

[Anton]

Repeated drain cleaning interventions took place this week outside Big C opposite Terminal 21, a quick-flooding spot when you reach that junction coming from Joho, one of the crucial spots downtown. Last night there were 4 trucks deployed there.

[Anton]

Rainmakers aim to fill Lam Takong reservoir

Cloud seeding operations are planned to help fill Lam Takong Dam reservoir in Nakhon Ratchasima if the water level remains below 30% of usable capacity.

Bangkok Post full article

[Anton]

Disastrous situation again tonight in several areas. My girlfriend who lives in a street off Phibunlayad was unable to go back home after work, by motorcycle.

Title here says: "After two hours pouring rain, Korat becomes the sea"


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coRjqxV5aPQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coRjqxV5aPQ</a>

[Anton]

Korat municipality allocated 10 million THB for interventions to solve quick flooding problem at the IT Plaza intersection.


<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Dun1_C7cw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Dun1_C7cw</a>

[Roger]

Hard to believe that Lam Takong is 30% full or less.

Sorry to hear of persistent flooding in Korat - somehow I don't think £225,000 will be of much help !  I remember Oct 2010 at that same junction - I think the school just up the road was closed for 2 weeks and access was by wooden pathways for a while.

Really sad to see this. Just my observation, but the rainy season this year started early and is ending late - that's what I've seen both in the North and in Chantaburi with massive rains again today. No flooding.

In Chantaburi, 20km or more of 20 metre wide 'canals' seem to drain the basin of the flood plain. An amazing project, a 'King's Project' I believe. A good bike ride along the road asides, takes you on one leg, almost into the centre of the City by the Cathedral. Quite amazing. But there's sea closeby to drain into. I'd guess this project cost billions of baht - many billions that is. The banks of gates to regulate the water are a sight to behold.

Korat has a big problem. I don't see 10 million baht helping much.

But Good Luck all.

[Anton]

I remember Oct 2010 at that same junction - I think the school just up the road was closed for 2 weeks and access was by wooden pathways for a while.

That great flood was of a different nature, it was because they had to open up the dams, it flooded slowly but steadily especially on Takong's low-lying left shore (behind The Mall, at St. Mary Hospital, etc.). Much of the city centre wasn't flooded at all. It flooded in a lasting way in other districts, too. It was the second half of October.

A similar one but less serious and quicker to run down occurred 3 years later, first half October 2013. Between the two, it was central region and Bangkok that suffered great flooding in 2011, for the same reason.

Just my observation, but the rainy season this year started early and is ending late

Perhaps first showers came earlier this year, but total rain volume doesn't seem to be extraordinary to me until now here in the city. Maybe even below average for the season. It's not raining every day at all. But when it rains it pours, hence that quick minor flooding in critical spots, repeatedly. As to Takong's left shore, where I live, I haven't seen any flooding at all here since October 2013.

As to rainy season ending late, let's wait and see. Still have 2-3 weeks to go. Both above-mentioned big floods happened in October.

Korat has a big problem. I don't see 10 million baht helping much.

I agree it seems little, but it is for one particular spot only.

[Wizard]

Nothing has changed in Korat over the past 15 years except more construction, which leads to more flooding. In most countries before construction starts the infrastructure is constructed and installed. In Korat and Thailand in general, construction finishes and then they try and fix the infrastructure. It doesn't work, so the flooding will continue and probably will get worse. Amazing Thailand.

[Robert]

I was told that one of the overflow areas was where now the stadium is. After they built this no replacement area was created.