Unrelenting downpours have plunged the city of Nakhon Ratchasima into a severe flooding crisis, compelling its inhabitants to hastily vacate their residences. This alarming situation has brought back chilling memories of the catastrophic deluge that swept the city in 1980. In response, Thai officials have heightened vigilance, with particular attention to Lam Takhong’s weather-beaten areas.
Chaiya Huay Hongs Thong, Khao Yai National Park’s chief, revealed that an intense depression storm has triggered consistent precipitation across the wooded expanses of the park. Despite the rainfall not being exceedingly heavy, its ceaseless persistence inundates the soil which, in turn, leads the water to spill into the Lam Takhong streams.
Consequently, water bodies have swelled dramatically in the Lam Takhong camping region, reaching an almost canal-overflowing magnitude before cascading down towards Orchid Cliff Waterfall and Huai Suwat Waterfall, and ultimately settling in Lam Takhong’s lower plains.
With a sense of urgency, Kana Chanchanom Sri Charoen, the Pak Chong District Officer, amalgamated efforts with Mu Si, Kanong Pra, and Nong Nam Daeng community heads to shift their possessions and cattle to safer territories. This preventive action was predicated on the potential that an incessant downpour might fuel an exponential rise in forest water levels.
With the situation growing precarious, the Mayor of Pak Chong, Komkrit Limpapanalert, is on the edge, keeping a close eye on potential flooding in the Lam Takhong canal. This canal encircles ten communities and carries the risk of a replay of the disastrous flooding that submerged Pak Chong’s city center back in October 2020.
The formidable flooding in Nakhon Ratchasima compelled locals to hurriedly move out their belongings / KhaoSod. Leading the rescue initiatives, Sommai Mi Chantuek, Mu Si’s village head, marshaled fellow villagers and their tractors to evacuate assets from over 20 households. Homes in the lower corners of Lam Takhong were flooded with water rising over 50 centimeters, even reaching a staggering one meter in certain areas. It is anticipated that by the midday, the forest water will seep into the Pak Chong district and eventually barrel its way toward the Lam Takhong Dam.
Anticipating a further escalation of flooding in Nakhon Ratchasima, the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department enforced a stern watch on the Lam Takhong region, an attempt to ward off another catastrophic deluge akin to the 1980 incident.
The residents of Mu Si are in a mad scramble to safeguard their belongings against the rising water levels. Nakhon Ratchasima is enduring a brutal storm, which has made the forest water brim over, submerging roads, bridges, and residences in floodwaters. The water level has shot up to a meter, making roads impassable for all forms of vehicular transport around Mu Si Temple as reported by KhaoSod.
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