Lom sak: Although the flooding situation in Lom Sak Municipality, Phetchabun Province, has eased, damage remains severe. Residents remain wary of the situation following heavy rains in the north, and they must also prepare for storms later this week.
According to Thai News Agency, residents of Lom Sak Municipality, including shop owners in key commercial areas, are still surveying the damage from the second round of flooding in three weeks. The floodwaters have almost completely receded since yesterday, but have left behind severe damage, particularly mud stains. Many shops are rushing to clean up the area to resume trading, but many are still not removing their belongings and goods from higher ground, as they remain distrustful of the situation. This morning heavy rain was reported in Lom Kao District, north of Lom Sak.
Mae Ari, owner of a furniture and religious supply shop in the heart of Lom Sak, near the clock tower roundabout, who has been in business there for over 40 years, took reporters inside to see the damage inside her shop. She explained that this year she's been exhausted cleaning and tidying up the house, as her shop has been flooded twice. The first time, water reached knee-deep in the shop, damaging cabinets, mattresses, and altars. Many items had to be auctioned off, while others were thrown away as trash, causing hundreds of thousands of baht in damage. The last flood didn't cause much damage, as most of the goods were stored in a warehouse. Items already in front of the shop were moved to avoid the floodwaters and placed on pallets, and she won't be removing them until the rainy season is over. She admitted that she's worried about the water situation further, as there's news of another storm approaching Thailand.
The water level in the Pa Sak River, which flows through Lom Sak District, is approximately 7 meters 60 centimeters, nearly 1 meter below the riverbank. Lom Sak Municipality is expediting efforts to seal the breached embankment by placing barriers, power poles, and sandbags. They are also deploying reinforced embankments along the 250-meter stretch of the old embankment, particularly along the bend in the river, in preparation for heavy rain and the storm expected later this week.