Thai villagers brace for flash floods
Date: 20-Aug-02
Country: THAILAND
An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale also rattled the jungled border region of northwest Thailand early yesterday, but there were no reports of casualties.
Officials said the quake was felt in Mae Sot town in Tak province, about 420 km (260 miles) northwest of Bangkok.
Part of the Moei river in the same province spilled its banks on Sunday and inundated hundreds of houses and businesses, provincial officials said.
Floods in several northern provinces had receded by Yesterday. There were no reports of casualties, but many businesses had been forced to close temporarily.
"Some shops have been reopened for business as the water has receded. But 180 shops located right along the Moei river have yet to open," Mae Sot district chief Samart Loyfa told Reuters.
"We have also warned people who live along the Myanmar border to be prepared for flash floods in coming days," Samart said.
Some 3,200 hectares (8,000 acres) of corn in Tak province have been damaged by heavy rain in the past two weeks, he said.
"The rather active southwest monsoon will prevail over the Andaman Sea throughout most of the period (August 15-21), resulting in fertile rainfall with isolated heavy to heavy falls," the meteorological department said on its Web site.
It also warned of flooding in the northeast of the country.
"During this period, the fertile rainfalls will occur over northeastern and eastern Thailand causing flooding conditions...over the banks of the Mekong river and the wave height in the Andaman Sea will strengthen, the people and navigators should beware of natural disaster."