BANGKOK, Thailand – The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has issued a warning for Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, and Mukdahan to prepare for rising Mekong River levels and possible flooding from September 1–6. Water levels along sections of the river are forecast to rise by about 2.0–4.8 meters, putting low-lying riverside communities at risk of overflows and waterlogging.
DDPM Director-General Teerapat Katchamat reported that the Mekong in Nong Khai’s capital district is expected to exceed the critical level from September 2–4, peaking on September 4 at about 0.28 meters above the threshold. In Bueng Kan’s capital district, the river is forecast to exceed the critical level from September 2–5, peaking on September 5 at about 1.22 meters above the threshold.
At-risk areas include six districts in Nong Khai, four each in Bueng Kan and Nakhon Phanom, and three in Mukdahan. These include Sangkhom, Si Chiang Mai, Tha Bo, Phon Phisai, and Rattanawapi; Pak Khat, Bung Khla, and So Phisai; Nakhon Phanom’s capital district, Ban Phaeng, Tha Uthen, and That Phanom; and Mukdahan’s capital district, Wan Yai, and Don Tan.
Provincial authorities and regional disaster management centers have been instructed to monitor the Mekong and its tributaries and to keep personnel, vehicles, machinery, and equipment on standby around the clock. Residents in vulnerable areas should follow official warnings, move belongings to higher ground, and prepare to relocate if necessary, while emergency response teams remain on standby for deployment if conditions worsen. (NNT)
