Bangkok Flood Disaster Declared
Bangkok Declares Flood Disaster Across All 50 Districts After Heavy Rains
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Bangkok declared all 50 districts disaster areas after nearly 300 millimeters of rain fell since Thursday, flooding roads, homes and businesses and disrupting daily life. Eastern Bangkok has been among the hardest-hit areas, and officials warned that canals were full and water levels could rise as heavy rain was forecast through Sunday. Authorities urged residents in vulnerable areas to move belongings and vehicles to higher ground, advised people dependent on life-saving medical equipment to consider temporary hospital stays, and opened a shelter; the designation enables agencies to respond more quickly. City crews are pumping and redirecting water, clearing drains, deploying sandbags and providing transport assistance. Flooding was also reported in 20 provinces, where officials increased releases from the Chao Phraya Dam and urged downstream and low-lying communities to monitor water levels.
Key Points
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The all-city disaster order expanded an earlier designation that covered three districts: Nong Chok, Suan Luang and Khan Na Yao.
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A cell-broadcast alert sent shortly after 9 a.m. warned residents that canal levels were already critical and expected to rise further.
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The Royal Irrigation Department began raising releases from the Chao Phraya Dam from 1,850 to 1,950 cubic metres per second, increasing the rate by about 20 cubic metres per second each hour until around 2 p.m.
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The Meteorological Department attributed the unsettled weather to a strong low-pressure system over the lower Central Plains, Bangkok and nearby provinces, alongside a strengthening southwest monsoon.
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Vendor Somkid Pheuk-ngam said floodwater was around waist-high near her canal-side shop, which she had been forced to close for two days; she said the flooding seemed worse than the 2011 disaster.
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