Swift action saves homes from more flooding
Authorities had to take urgent action to protect several communities in Chainat province from flooding on Tuesday morning.
Officials decided to release a large amount of water from the Chao Phraya Dam in Sappaya district after floodwaters started flowing into it at high speed.
Water was flowing into the dam at 3,044 cubic metres per second at 8 am and the upstream water caused the water level of the upstream Chao Phraya above the dam to rise by 7 centimetres to about 1747 metres above the sea level.
That would have caused the river to burst its banks and inundate several communities, so the authorities increased the rate of water release by 100 cubic metres per second from 2,598 cbm to 2,698 cbm per second, causing the water downstream from the dam to rise to 16.03 metre above the sea level.
Had the authorities not acted so swiftly there was a severe danger of further flooding to Tambon Bang Luang, Tambon Taluk, Tambon Sappaya, Tambon Had Asa, Tambon Pho Nangdam Ok and Tambon Pho Nangdam Tok in Sappaya district, which have already been flooded for more than two weeks.
The floodwater level there would have risen by another 25 centimeters, according to officials.
So far 2,800 houses and 16,000 rai of farmland in Chainat have been hit by flooding.