A command centre has been set up in Lamphun’s Muang district, in preparation for emergencies and evacuations, as floodwater flowing from Chiang Mai has reached the province, according to Mueang Lamphun district chief Yutthapong Chaisorn.
He added that Lamphun has rarely experienced flooding and some households might not be well prepared and their occupants become marooned by the floodwater.
The command centre is at the Muang Lamphun district office to also coordinate efforts and notify and assist people.
As of today, 27 villages in seven sub-districts in Muang district have been declared disaster areas, affecting more than 500 households.
Meanwhile, nearly 60 water pumps have been brought into the district, while teams are rushing to assist people to evacuate, especially the elderly.
A mass of water from Chiang Mai’s Sarapee district, flowing down the Ping River, overflowed onto Super Highway 11 yesterday, flooding Lamphun’s U-Mong, Nong Chang Khuen and Rim Ping sub-districts and trapping people.
At least 58 water pumps have been installed in the Rim Ping and Muang Nga sub-districts, to help drain the floodwater. Two large water pumps from Bangkok will be added soon as well.
The Lamphun Irrigation Department expects it to take around 25 days to drain the water from the affected areas.
In an update, posted on the Lamphun and Chiang Mai Disaster Monitoring Section Facebook page on October 8th at 9pm, people in the Muang Nga sub-district are advised to move their belongings to higher ground, as a large amount of floodwater draining into the Ping River, causing overflows into some villages in this area.
