BANGKOK, 20 September 2013 The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation is offering speedy assistance to residents in seven provinces in the upper parts currently hit by floods.
DDPM chief Chatchai Promlert said flat-bottomed boats, emergency gear and water pumps will be dispatched to relieve flooding in many provinces including Prachin Buri, Rayong, Trat and Chainat.
The Meteorological Department reported that the depression from Vietnam has been downgraded to a low pressure cell and is heading towards the Northeast of Thailand. The pressure cell is predicted to bring more rains to the region, raising fears of major flooding.
Surin is currently experiencing the worst flooding in 40 years as rainstorms damaged agricultural land and roads, paralyzing traffic. Continuous streams of floodwater overflowed from the Phanom Dongrak mountain range, flooding many districts.
In Ayutthaya, 5,100 households have been hit by the deluge as the upstream dam released more water. 27 districts have been submerged and roads have been rendered impassable.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has assigned the DDPM to prepare assistant measures for flood victims and to alert residents ahead of approaching storms. Major roads leading to nearby provinces are flooded with 80 centimeters of water.
