Bangkok authorities declared a disaster in Thailand’s capital on Saturday, September 26, after nearly 48 hours of heavy rain flooded homes, shops and roads, forcing residents to wade through deep water. UNN reports, citing AFP.
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Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cut short his trip to London to return home after nearly 300 millimeters of rain fell from Thursday afternoon until Saturday morning, officials said.
Bangkok is no stranger to wet weather, and September is the peak of the rainy season, but several residents said the current storm felt worse than usual.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) declared a disaster in all 50 districts of the city, granting local organizations special powers.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said on Saturday afternoon that the situation had "stabilized," adding: "If there is no more rainwater in this area, the problem will be solved."
"If the rain stops, it is expected to take two to three days to drain the floodwater," he said in an update posted on social media.
Nearly continuous rain since Thursday filled Bangkok’s network of canals, sending muddy water into surrounding homes, restaurants, shops and lanes.
"Our problem is that the canals are full," Chadchart said.
"We are cooperating with neighboring provinces and trying to divert the water through other routes, minimizing the amount that enters Bangkok," he added.
Once known as the "Venice of the East," the city is built on former swampland and lies approximately 1.5 meters above sea level.
The BMA earlier reported that the city’s pumping stations were operating at full capacity, collectively pumping about 1,200 cubic meters per second.
AFP reporters saw residents wading or pushing their motorcycles through high water in several areas of eastern Bangkok, while parked cars were partially submerged on one major road.
In some shops, shelves were emptied as locals rushed to buy necessities.
Chadchart said at least 13 major roads had been flooded, but urged residents not to worry about a potential shortage of food, emphasizing: "The public does not need to panic."
He said about 980 people were staying in temporary shelters, while authorities transferred 36 bedridden people to hospitals. The city also prepared one million sandbags.
According to Bangkok’s Department of Drainage and Sewerage, September had been wetter than usual.
Thailand’s capital received 487 mm of rain from September 1 to 25, compared with an average of nearly 269 mm for the same period from 1991 to 2020.
Scientists warn that the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase as the planet continues to warm due to fossil-fuel emissions.
According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, floods were also reported in 21 provinces of Thailand on Saturday, with one death.
The report said further rain was expected on Sunday.
Widespread floods across Thailand in 2011 killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes.