Flood outlook still dire in Phitsanulok
The flood situation in Phitsanulok remained worrying as rainfall continued and rivers and canals kept rising, according to an irrigation official on Wednesday.
Yom-Nan irrigation and maintenance project head Chamnan Chuthiang said officials had already installed pumps to help drain floodwaters and brought in backhoes to remove waterway-blocking hyacinth and strengthen earthen flood-barriers.
While many riverside homes were already flooded, runoff from the north kept pouring into water-retention fields with a combined area of 240,000 rai (38,400 hectares) in Phrom Phiram, Muang and Bang Rakam districts. The area now contained about 550 million cubic metres.
At Bang Kaew sluice gate in Bang Rakam, it was reported that water levels had reached 42.66 metres from mean sea level, which is 1.66 metres beyond controllable levels. Water was flowing at 90 cubic metres per second.
In Ban Mae Rakan, Tambon Ban Krang, Muang Phitsanulok, the Mae Rahan Bridge and a temporary bridge were under 25 centimetres of water, making them impassable for small vehicles.
