Thailand Floods 2011: Flood Barriers Will Determine Bangkok's Fate

RANGSIT, Thailand — Flood barriers protecting the Thai capital from the country's worst floodwaters in decades have been holding up so far.

Communities neighboring Bangkok have been swamped, and nationwide 297 people have been killed.

But the elaborate system flood walls, canals, dikes and underground tunnels protecting Bangkok kept flooding at bay for most of the capital Sunday, amid signs the city's danger may be easing.

Adisak Kantee, deputy director of Bangkok's drainage department, says runoff from the north has decreased slightly and high tides that could have impeded drainage to the Gulf of Thailand have not been severe as expected.

It may be several days before the city is fully out of danger. In the meantime, nervous residents have cleared supermarkets of bottled water, and sandbagged key properties.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

RANGSIT, Thailand (AP) – Flood barriers protecting the Thai capital from the country's worst floodwaters in decades have been holding up so far.

Communities neighboring Bangkok have been swamped, and nationwide 297 people have been killed.

But the elaborate system flood walls, canals, dikes and underground tunnels protecting Bangkok kept flooding at bay for most of the capital Sunday, amid signs the city's danger may be easing.

Adisak Kantee, deputy director of Bangkok's drainage department, says runoff from the north has decreased slightly and high tides that could have impeded drainage to the Gulf of Thailand have not been severe as expected.

It may be several days before the city is fully out of danger. In the meantime, nervous residents have cleared supermarkets of bottled water, and sandbagged key properties.

Comments

[nastywolf]

05:05 PM on 10/15/2011

If Bangkok is spared or escapes with relatively little damage will be due to a very farsighted plan to build a complicated network of canals, levees, gates and retention basins in and around the city to prevent just such a catastrophe from occurring. This network has prevented major flooding over the past few decades and hope it that it will stand up to this incredibly unusual flooding. Good luck,Thailand.