Southern provinces placed on alert for heavy rain until October 14

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed services in all southern provinces to be on alert to deal with the consequences of heavy rain from today until October 14.

Chairing the meeting of the National Command Centre for Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the prime minister said he has assigned the Meteorological Department, the centre to help the public in cases of floods and landslides and other relevant agencies to update weather forecasts so the public will be informed accurately and regularly.

If the situation becomes critical, he said these agencies must increase the frequency of weather forecasts and warnings, he said.

The prime minister said that the flooding has affected people in several areas, such as Bang Ban district in Ayutthaya, Ban Sang and Muang districts in Prachin Buri, Bang Khla and Bang Nam Priao in Chachoengsao, Ongkharak district in Nakhon Nayok and Bang Pla Ma in Suphan Buri.

Authorities in all provinces prioritise the monitoring of the flood situation and accelerate the inspection of damage to property, so the affected can receive help, especially the elderly and the sick who need to be evacuated to flood shelters and treated.

For areas where floodwater has receded and are ready for repair and rehabilitation, he said cleaning for roads and public places must be undertaken and piles of garbage collected and disposed of. Officials should help people in house cleaning, he said.

As for compensation, budget has been allocated and money will be dispensed to those who have registered for compensation, without having to wait until everything has returned to normal.

Regarding insurance coverage for the damage, he said that compensation from the insurance system can be dispensed only when governors have declared flood disaster zones.

Meanwhile, Deputy Transport Minister Sanphet Bunyamanee said he will convene a video conference with the governors of 14 southern provinces this evening, to map out plans to cope with the forecast heavy rain, including evacuation and drainage plans.

He said that all relevant agencies must work in unity, in the same direction, must not panic and do their best, adding that accumulated rainfall in the past few days compounded by new downpours will cause rivers to overflow, flash floods, water runoffs and landslides.