Rain and storm bring flooding, topple trees, lead to blackouts

Yannawa district’s Chong Nonsi area recorded the heaviest rain of 100.5 millimetres, and in Chiang Mai nearly 100 homes and several cars were damaged by gusting winds and fallen roadside trees.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Flood Prevention Centre reported that various areas had suffered moderate to heavy rain on Tuesday night until early yesterday morning.

Chong Nonsi had the most rain – 100.5mm – followed by Samut Prakan’s Klong Samrong area 93mm, and Bang Khun Thien district 82.5mm – in the 24-hour period.

City workers took until 7am yesterday to clear all the 14 flooded areas. In some areas, water was up to 20cm-deep, including Sutthiporn Soi 2 in Din Daeng, the Pradipat intersection area in Phya Thai, and the Chan Road-Ratchadaphisek intersection in Sathorn. 

In Chiang Mai’s Saraphi district, the Tuesday night rainstorm toppled five old rubber trees along the Chiang Mai-Lamphun Road – two fell on homes and three blocked traffic. Several power poles were also brought down, leading to hours-long blackouts along the 15km road. The gusting wind also blew away many house roof tiles.

No injuries or deaths were reported, according to district chief Khunawat Sukhanthakul, who confirmed officials were surveying the damage to help victims. As trees blocking traffic were quickly cleared away, officials also removed with heavy machines trees that had fallen on to houses.

In Phichit’s Wachira Barami district, Ban Yang Suwat School in Tambon Bung Bua was damaged by an old 50-metre-tall tree, which came down in the May 16 summer storm. The school remained closed yesterday for students’ safety. Phichit Technical College students and provincial disaster prevention and mitigation officials yesterday cleared away the tree.