Thailand's Turn For Floods

[thaiturkey]

Two weeks after the usual end of the rainy season it's gone into extra time with a vengeance. Apart from a few days, we have had heavy rain for a month and it gets worse, The water table is well up to the surface now and all of the run off capacity is full. The dam above us in the mountains is full to a dangerous level and, to add to the rain, they let water go from their nearly every day. The nearest city is under water and our local market town and one village has up to 6 feet of both still and fast flowing water. People have lost their furniture and animals and are evacuating their homes. The market town is without electricity and water as people rely on army tin boats to get them out or get food. Our own village is without piped water now that the pumping station is flooded ans we are threatened with electricity cuts.

The government's effort to help people is disgrace. Thank goodness that it's in the nature of people here to help one another.

This all makes my complaints about our own inconveniences a few weeks ago look quite out of place.

As I write we have a cracking thunderstorm that will replace all of the water that drained away today. Another release of the dam is scheduled in the knowledge that our devastated town down the road will get hit yet again at 3.00am. How can they get it so wrong?

I've posted some pics. and comments on my blog:

http://www.grumpyexpat.com/blog/2010/10/pak-thong-chai-korat-flood---o.html

On the lighter side, here's a pic. of someone who came to look at the flood in the most unsuitable clothes you can imagine. There is not a woman in the picture, by the way.

To avoid any trouble I held the camera at waist level and pressed the button, thereby accidentally missing the physiognomy but you will get the idea.

 

[EweSheep]

Those legs aren't a woman????? Oh jeez! Wrong attire for shoes too LOL! She needs some Wellies to muck about in the mud.

You guys stick tight during the hurricane or tropical storm....that one sure a doozer!

How are you holding up?

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Those legs are prettier than mine!

And I am certain I could never manage those shoes under the best of circumstances.....

Back to flooding ----

But, you might find this site of interest. http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php If you are looking to track global weather and other events.

The listings on here are very cool and sometimes have a wealth of information. But, they have very little on Thailand right now, are you expecting any hit from Mewi??
You might be able to help the site out by providing some info on Thailand's issues.....

 

[thaiturkey]

Thanks folks an thanks for the link.

We might also catch the edge of that hurricane that's hitting the Philippines. Not good.

We are doing OK compared with many. The turkeys and chickens are happy with their temporary homes but it means frequent clean ups after the turkeys on the back porch. We are showering Thai style with well water to save the good water in the tank - that involves a plastic barrel in the downstairs bathroom and a scoop to dowse ourselves with but it's nothing to complain about in the circumstances. Food sources might get scarce because this will go on for a few days and the stores in the towns, like every other business and hospitals, are under water. Good water cannot be replaced either. The worst would be the threatened power cuts. We may have to move to a hotel elsewhere if it gets that bad.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
If you have food, see if you have any liquid bleach around. You can make all the good water you want. 8 drops per 5 gallons or so if you can't boil the water.


ETA - Here's a good article and explanation.
http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oemergencypurifycalc.html

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
If you have food, see if you have any liquid bleach around. You can make all the good water you want. 8 drops per 5 gallons or so if you can't boil the water.


ETA - Here's a good article and explanation.
http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oemergencypurifycalc.html

That looks like a great tip. Thanks. The well water looks clean. We have a jar of it settling and there's no sediment yet. It might be high in salts, though. Would bleach in a stainless steel tank be OK? If so, that solves a problem. We could fill the tank from the well. Provided we still have power to run the pump.

 

[EweSheep]

Do you have access to a hand pump somewhere on the farm?

They should not be that expensive.

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
We don't have one but we might be able to get a diesel pump. The borehole is 90 feet deep so quite a bit of power is needed. A generator linked to the mains circuit might do the trick too.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
If you have food, see if you have any liquid bleach around. You can make all the good water you want. 8 drops per 5 gallons or so if you can't boil the water.


ETA - Here's a good article and explanation.
http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oemergencypurifycalc.html

That looks like a great tip. Thanks. The well water looks clean. We have a jar of it settling and there's no sediment yet. It might be high in salts, though. Would bleach in a stainless steel tank be OK? If so, that solves a problem. We could fill the tank from the well. Provided we still have power to run the pump.

In a pinch I think you would be ok, but high concentrations of chlorine acts like an oxidizer and can hurt the metal. Not sure if there is any health risks other than it will start to rust out your tank. considering the concentrations needed for drinking water, I think you'll be fine

ETA: these situations are why I prep ahead of time, not necessarily a night of the living dead type apocalypse..

Also, Thaiturkey, your well can become contaminated if you have water running above ground in a flood situation. My well head for maint is about 3' higher than ground level. If the head ever went underwater, I would suspect the integrity of the drinking water till it has time to cleanse itself.

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
That looks like a great tip. Thanks. The well water looks clean. We have a jar of it settling and there's no sediment yet. It might be high in salts, though. Would bleach in a stainless steel tank be OK? If so, that solves a problem. We could fill the tank from the well. Provided we still have power to run the pump.

In a pinch I think you would be ok, but high concentrations of chlorine acts like an oxidizer and can hurt the metal. Not sure if there is any health risks other than it will start to rust out your tank. considering the concentrations needed for drinking water, I think you'll be fine

ETA: these situations are why I prep ahead of time, not necessarily a night of the living dead type apocalypse..

Also, Thaiturkey, your well can become contaminated if you have water running above ground in a flood situation. My well head for maint is about 3' higher than ground level. If the head ever went underwater, I would suspect the integrity of the drinking water till it has time to cleanse itself.

Thanks again. I'll get onto that in the morning. We have bleach so there's no need for us to hunt around for it.

The well head is on higher ground more than three feet above the affected part of the land. If the flood get that high we'll be out of here anyway because the house would be flooded and the whole area would be too. Always build on high ground. We had the land for the house and garden built up for this very reason. Others in lower lying villages didn't and are now in trouble.

Time to hit the sack here and hope that things improve tomorrow.