Bang Saray Beach, fishermen take brunt of Vamco’s rage in Sattahip

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While Pattaya’s flooding disaster grabbed the headlines, Sattahip had is share of pain inflicted by tropical depression Vamco

Bang Saray Mayor Somjit Nimsuwan and top city officials inspected the beach Sept. 15 after the first day of the heavy storm, finding piles of garbage, unearthed shellfish, and a shoreline that once was white sand turned green.

Bang Saray, not sheltered by barrier islands, took the brunt of the district’s damage, with two-meter waves crashing on the beach. Officials correctly predicted more damage would be inflicted that night.

Huge waves destroyed at least 10 fishing boats in Bang Saray.Huge waves destroyed at least 10 fishing boats in Bang Saray.

Around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 16, Vamco took down a large Burmese Padauk tree near the 169-kilometer marker near the entrance to Khet Udomsak Sub-district on Sukhumvit Road, knocking out lights in Sattahip and the surrounding areas.

The tree blocked the road conspiring with wind, rain and flooding to paralyze traffic. Sattahip Electricity Department workers scrambled to restore power while highway and disaster mitigation department workers took chainsaws to the fallen tree to reopen Sukhumvit.

Officials returned to Bang Saray at 10 a.m. after reports that Vamco had sunk 10 fishing boats. Distraught boat owners could only watch as the storm bashed their vessels. Some hired salvage boats to pull them up and bring to a local dockyard for repairs.

Floods inundated many parts of the district, damaging homes, property and vehicles.

Sattahip was battered as deep floods destroyed many homes, properties and vehicles. Authorities, meanwhile, ordered fishermen to continue to remain in port until the storm passed.