Canals full, roads submerged as Bangkok declares flood disaster
Bangkok authorities declared a flood disaster across the Thai capital on Saturday after almost 48 hours of heavy rain left canals full, roads submerged and residents wading through deep water. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged people to stay home after almost 300 millimetres (11.8 inches) of rain fell, while Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he was cutting short a trip to London to…
Bangkok declared a flood disaster on Saturday after days of heavy rain submerged roads and filled canals. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged residents to stay at home, while Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cut short a trip to London. Almost 300 millimeters of rain fell in the city in just 48 hours. Somkid Pheuk-ngam, a 67-year-old vendor, said the water reached her waist level and she had closed her shop for two days.
She considered this flooding worse than the 2011 disaster, which killed over 500 people. Widespread flooding in Thailand at the time also displaced millions. The situation, according to Chadchart, is stabilizing, but could take 2-3 days to fully drain if no more rain falls. At least 13 roads were flooded, and residents were seen wading through high waters in various neighborhoods.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration declared all 50 districts in a state of disaster, granting local organizations greater powers to respond. However, the governor urged residents not to panic about food shortages from blocked roads. Around 980 people were in temporary shelters, while authorities moved 36 bedridden individuals to hospitals.
Motorbike rider Samruay Nakkamnueng worried his bike might get stuck in the floodwater. In the On Nut neighborhood, locals collected sandbags to protect their homes and businesses. Chadchart urged people to move belongings to higher ground, emphasizing that the canals were full. The city, built on marshland, sits about 1.5 meters above sea level.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's pumping stations were at full capacity, moving over 1,200 cubic meters of water per second. Municipal workers were busy clearing roads of debris, saying their role was to ensure drains remained clear for water to flow. September is the peak of Bangkok's rainy season, but this year has seen more rain than usual.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation warned of low pressure across eastern, northeastern, and central Thailand until Sunday.
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