Storm surge
Written by Admin on Friday, September 5th, 2008
ABOUT THE LESSON
City prepares disaster plan for storm surge
On Aug 13, National Disaster Warning Centre chairman Smith Dharmasarojana declared Samut Prakan as the most vulnerable province in the inner Gulf of Thailand. He warned of the possibility of “the worst storm surge in 50 years”.
A storm surge is generated by strong winds, usually from a tropical depression or typhoon, which cause the water to pile up above normal sea level as it approaches the shoreline, building large waves which overwhelm low-lying land.
In the front-page story of the Bangkok Post on Aug 22, we found out that the Samut Prakan province is taking a rather unusual precautionary measure:
A total of 499 Buddhist, Christian, Islamic and Hindu priests and a Buddha statue in the “Calming the Ocean” posture will take part in a ritual next Tuesday to keep the province’s coastline safe from storm surges. Provincial governor Anuwat Maytheewibulwut said the “stop the wind, stop the water” ceremony will be held at the provincial hall in Muang district.
According to Mr Smith, the damage from a storm surge might not be confined to Samut Prakan. It could send waves as high as one metre beyond Samut Prakan into several districts of Bangkok as well. In the story below, we find out what the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is doing to prepare for such an eventuality.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is preparing a disaster plan to handle the devastating effects of a storm surge possibly hitting the capital as some experts have warned. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin recently met the heads of BMA departments to work out a plan to brace the capital for a storm surge.
While acknowledging the Meteorological Department’s statement that no typhoon had hit Bangkok for the past 57 years and so the possibility of one occurring was negligible, Mr Apirak said that the city should still not be reckless about the recent warnings.
The BMA has set up a committee to respond to such a natural disaster. The panel consists of authorities with expertise in search and rescue, emergency medical treatment, communications, giving shelter, raising donations, disease control as well as catering.
City Hall is distributing 200,000 leaflets for people in locations deemed at risk telling them about how to take care of themselves if there is a storm surge.
The leaflets stress districts like Bang Na, Bang Khunthien, Thung Kru, Rat Burana and Chom Thong, which are either close or adjacent to the sea.
A possible storm surge could send waves as high as one metre into these districts.
The city administration would coordinate the supply of rescue boats and trucks from the military and contact local temples, schools and some private property owners to ask them to provide shelters for storm-surge victims.
The Central Bang Na department store and Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (Bitec) in Bang Na are included among possible shelters.
The warning of a potential serious storm surge came recently from veteran meteorologist Smith Dharmasarojana.
He said that people in Bangkok and adjacent Samut Prakan province could fall victim to a storm surge, a tidal surge from the sea that is lifted by the coming of a fierce storm.
