Strong Winds - High Waves - Cause 3 Provinces to be Declared Disaster Zones

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While Pattaya is enjoying some of the finest weather we've had in quite some time, other areas of Thailand are not so fortunate, as the following article by TNA illustrates:

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Three Provinces Declared Disaster Zones Due to Strong Waves

 

SONGKHLA, Dec 22 (TNA)

 

Four-metre (13 ft) waves in the Gulf of Thailand pounding several coastal areas prompted three Thai southern provinces -- Songkhla, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat -- to declare disaster emergency zones along their shorelines.

 

Songkhla governor Sonthi Thechanun has declared coastal areas in two districts -- Ranod district and Chana district -- as disaster zones following powerful waves hitting the shorelines there.

 

The local meteorological department forecast that strong winds and rough seas in the Gulf of Thailand would continue through Saturday (December 23).

 

Songkhla's head of the disaster prevention and mitigation said that the pounding waves damaged 15 seafront houses and a road in two districts.

 

Agencies concerned will build temporary shoreline breakwaters to prevent more damage.

 

In Surat Thani, four-metre waves washed away 22 houses in a fishing village in Tha Chana district and about 50 people became displaced. Five metre waves and rough seas continued on Friday.

 

Surat Thani governor Niwat Sawatkaew is cooperating with local military units to help evacuate people in 150 village households to safe areas. A sandbag embankment was built as a breakwater and a school in the village closed indefinitely until the situation returns to normal.

 

In Donsak district, surging waves damaged eight houses, leaving 30 villagers homeless.

 

The governor has declared Tha Chana district and Donsak district disaster zones and ordered all small boats anchored.

 

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, the 54 kilometre shoreline from Huasai district to Laem Talumphuk in Pak Phanang district is also a critical area, following high waves that smashed the shores and caused inundation in the two districts.

 

(TNA)-E004

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The following appears in the BANGKOK POST:

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Storms Create Southern Disasters

 

Chumphon (TNA)

 

Two more southern districts along the Gulf of Thailand have been declared disaster zones while strong waves continue to pound the region and damaged houses, officials said.

 

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation warned the southern provinces the high waves will continue until New Year.

 

Anucha Moekkhawet, the department director, said that the coastlines of provinces along the Gulf of Thailand will remain endangered for another week at least.

 

Pathiu district in this province was declared a disaster zone Saturday by the provincial governor after mighty waves as high as four metres initially destroyed six houses.

 

The Royal Thai Navy has set up a 24-hour relief center here to help people impacted by the waves.

 

Another disaster zone was declared in Chaiya district of Surat Thani province after waves eroded seven kilometres of Sai Kaew beach and more than 30 temporary shelters of fishermen were washed away along with a number of fishing boats.

 

Army officials yesterday inspected villagers in Tha Chana district of Surat Thani who were affected by powerful waves and found that many of them were suffering from stress, headache and high blood pressure. Soldiers built retaining walls from some 4,000 sandbags more in a bid to fend off the waves.

 

In Songkhla province near the Thai-Malaysian border, military engineer units helped the villagers build breakwaters of rock to prevent the waves from destroying a Thai Muslim cemetery located near the beach.

 

A lecturer at a Bangkok university blamed the El Nino weather phenomenon for the unusually high waves that are ravaging the coastlines of southern provinces along the Gulf.

 

The lecturer said a crash between the cold air mass from China and warm sea water in the Gulf had created unusually strong surf that surged against the Gulf of Thailand coastline, creating problems in many areas.