maandag 26 december 2011

Locals panic as menacing waves and winds lash some southern provinces




In Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district, two to four metre-high waves struck the coastline. Many shops and fishing boats docked behind a breakwater were damaged.

Khao Takieb village experienced unusually high tide. Seawater has flooded houses and roads as deep as 10-30 cm within Hua Hin municipality.

Villagers said the weather has fluctuated, as there is normally no strong wind or wave in December. Sea water has not risen to flood the areas for many years. (MCOT online


Hallo allemaal,

Wil jullie even deelgenoot maken van een krantenberichtje en een foto. Heel toepasselijk. Gisteravond hadden we in het reataurant aan zee, van te voren al een tafel besproken. Wat vorig jaar mis is gegaan, ging nu goed. we kregen een tafel langs het strand. We hebben echt zitten vernikkelen van de kou.Een van de heren uit het gezelschap is gaan vragen of, als er een grote tafel vrij kwam in het midden, we daar dan mochten zitten. Nu wilden we graag en vorig jaar was het ongewild. Dat lukte voor het hoofdgerecht. Het scheelde denk ik 8 tot 10 gr. in temp., afhankelijk van waar je zat. Het is ongekend. Vadaag wat boodschappen gedaan en toen ik op straat kwam, moest ik goed op mijn benen blijven staan-wat een beetje wankel is nog- om niet omver geblazen te worden. Iedereen loopt met jacks en vesten aan. In de stad aangekomen en tussen de bebouwing is het best aangenaam. In ieder geval veel beter als op mijn balkon. Als ik hier zo zit, lijkt het Nederland wel. De wind giert verschrikkelijk. Het zeewater staat tot ruim halverwege de trap waar we af moeten als we naar het strand gaan. Dat is ca. 2-2,5 meter hoog. Hoorde gisteren de opmerking van een van de heren die vaak langs het strand gaat wandelen, dat hij alleen gewend is aan zulke hoge golgen van de Noordzee.
De kerstdagen is het echt bar en boos. Ben benieuwd hoe lang dat nog duurt.

Gr. Miep



26/12/2011 at 05:12 PM

The southern provinces on the Gulf coast are being hammered by massive storm waves and strong winds, and Deputy Prime Minister Yngyuth Wichaidit has been put on charge of providing emergency help.

Huge waves had washed away a kilometre of beach in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Thap Sakae district, reports said on Monday. An area about 50 metres wide and a kilometre long had been been taken by the sea.

Waves three to four metres high had destroyed many houses and buildings along the coast. Fishermen were forced to stay ashore and a fish sauce plant was starting to cave in.

The furious assault on the coastline was generated by a ridge of high pressure from China.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat's Pak Phanang district, the powerful waves have inundated many houses, forcing residents to evacuate to safety.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Mr Yongyuth will visit southern Thailand to assess the situation and provincial governors can use the emergency budget to help people affected by the waves.

She said authorities will have to continue closely monitoring the coastal situation in the South.

The emergency warning database needed improvement and the appropriate agencies had to work in a more integrated manner.

Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Wibul Sanguanpong said strong waves and storms had damaged houses and public utilities in eight districts in four provinces -- Chumphon, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani.

Mr Wibul said his department had been cooperating with other units to provide assistance the residents along the coast and inspected damaged houses to estimate the cost of repairing them.

People affected by the waves can call the department's 1784 hotline for immediate assistance around the clock, he said.

The national army chief, Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, said the army will work with other agencies to help affected people along the coast.




High waves hit many seaside southern provinces yesterday, spreading panic among locals who were reminded of the 2004 deadly tsunami.
In Chumphon, waves ravaged hundreds of houses and strong winds uprooted many trees. Some local fishermen lost contact with others after sea conditions turned hostile.

Acting on behalf of Lang Suan district chief, senior assistant district officer Apinya Khondee ordered the evacuation of affected people.

Elsewhere, the big waves and strong winds also caused panic.

"I've never seen such big waves before," said Fon Yangnoi, a 60-year-old resident in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Sam Roi Yot district.

He was speaking after the waves, between two and four metres high, ravaged seaside restaurants and shops along the coastline.

"The waves were so high and the winds were so strong that they were frightening," Hua Hin Beach Shop Club chairwoman Somprapa Morakan said.

She said she had already instructed shop-owners to move their stuff out of their seaside structures as a precaution. "It has been forecast that the rough weather conditions will continue for a few more days," Somprapa said.

She said the shops would be closed until the weather conditions returned to normal. Her club has overseen shops stretching along the Hua Hin beach from the Hilton Hotel to the Sofitel Hotel.

Wanchai Iam-udom, a 62-year-old fisherman, was convinced that the waves were the highest in the province since Typhoon Gay hit more than two decades ago.

"It's dreadful because the waves have already broke three small fishing trawlers," he said.

Jim Daeng Restaurant owner Krissana Yoojan said the waves crashed onto the shore and damaged her place.

"The electrical appliances were submerged and ruined," she moaned.

The Meteorological Department had warned in advance that the sea would be rough in the Gulf of Thailand.

"We don't know why it has happened. Never before has seawater flooded our homes," Jirapat Poonsem said. He is a local resident of Khao Takiab Village in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Local resorts have reported adverse impacts from the big waves, too.

Prachaup Khiri Khan Governor Weera Sriwattanatrakoon said he had already inspected the damage caused by the waves.

"People living along the 220km coastline in Prachuap Khiri Khan should be on alert and stay abreast of weather news," he said.

He warned tourists against playing in the sea. However, he said tourists could still come and visit the province as usual.

"We have an early-warning system in place," he said.

Pinnart Jarernphon, who heads the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Prachuap Khiri Khan branch, said the conditions would be rough for just a few days.

"There's no need to panic," she said. "It's just a natural phenomenon."

Fon of the Prachuap Khiri Khan, however, was really worried. "My parents told me Nature would punish human beings for damaging the natural environment. That's why we are seeing deadly disasters like flooding, earthquake and tsunami."

Locals in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pattani also reported yesterday that high waves had been threatening their homes.

On December 26, 2004, giant tidal waves hit Thailand's coast for the first time, killing thousands of people and shocking the whole country.

Many events will take place today in the tsunami-hit provinces to commemorate that tragedy. A seminar on disaster-preparedness will be held in Phuket.

Geen opmerkingen: