A mental health team, from Noppitum Hospital, visited flood and landslide-affected areas in Krungching sub-district in Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday, to offer support to the elderly and patients with chronic conditions.
Many elderly people and patients have been stressed by the experience of escaping the flooding. Many also suffered property damage when flash floods and landslides struck during the night of December 15th, following 12 hours of heavy rainfall (450mm).
Ratchanee Sintoon, 90 years old, shared her anxiety, saying she feels unsettled after the event and will probably stay in the local evacuation centre for some time. She is waiting for her children to finish cleaning the mud from her house.
Many families are going back home during the day to assess the damage, only to return to sleep in the evacuation centre in the late evening.
The Krungching local authorities rely solely on Citizens Band (CB) radio for communication. In worsening situations, emergency staff use it to notify trained volunteers, who then alert residents and urge them to gather at designated safe points.
A disaster in 2011 served as a learning experience, leading to the development of strategies to prevent losses. As a result, there has not been any loss of life in the current disaster afflicting the sub-district.
