Photos courtesy of Bangkok Post
Storms recently hit 17 provinces across the kingdom. The disaster killed one man and caused widespread damage, authorities reported.
Read the following story from the Bangkok Post to learn more about the wild weather.
One man was killed and another injured during storms that caused havoc in at least 17 provinces across the country on April 23.
Suwit Soikong, 57, was found dead in a flooded rice field in Kamphang Phet's Muang district while in Sukhothai, Rin Chusuwan, a villager from tambon Ban Rai, sustained head injuries.
DISTRUCTIVE STORMS
Strong high pressure in the North resulted in summer thunderstorms and some hail across the northeast, central and eastern parts of Thailand.
The provinces affected included Sukhothai, Phrae, Phetchabun, Uttaradit, Si Sa Ket, Ang Thong, Nakhon Phanom, Trat and Phetchaburi. Other provinces hit by the storms were Chaiyaphum, Phitsanulok, Amnat Charoen, Chanthaburi, Chai Nat, Tak, Kamphang Phet and Phayao.
The storms wreaked havoc on roads, rice fields, fruit orchards, rubber plantations and more than 1,000 houses. In Sukhothai, about 150 homes were damaged in tambon Ban Rai. Troops were called in to help repair the damage and replace several homes that were destroyed.
HIT BY HAIL
In Phrae, nearly 300 homes were partially damaged, with the worst damage occurring in Wang Chin district. Ratchadaporn Choobthaisong, 32, a resident of Mae Pung in Phrae’s Wang Chin district, said strong winds blew down a wall of her house which led to the collapse of the whole structure.
“I was in the kitchen when the storm struck,” she said. “I was so terrified I ran away from the house.”
A hailstorm also damaged about 200 homes in Chaiyaphum’s Ban Khwao district.
About 80 homes were damaged in Phetchabun’s Lom Sak district.
In Uttaradit, storms smashed windows and damaged the roof on two buildings at Uttaradit Rajabhat University in Muang Uttaradit district. In Si Sa Ket, about 40 homes were damaged in Khun Han and Kantharalak districts.
HOMES DAMAGED
Storms also damaged about 20 houses in Ang Thong's Samko district. Samko resident Boonmas Noithanom, 20, said the storm struck at about 2 am on April 23, bringing high winds.
“The wind blew off part of my roof,” Boonmas said. “My husband and I were so scared we ran downstairs and hid until the rain stopped.”
About 20 families in Ang Thong were seeking help from the provincial office, Ang Thong governor Pawin Chamniprasart said.
In Nakhon Phanom province, about 500 homes were damaged, most of them in Phon Sawan district, while the owners of about 15 houses in Phop Phra district of Tak reported damage. In Trat, vast areas of rubber, durian and banana plantations in Bo Rai district were badly affected.
Exercises
Read the story. Then, decide whether each of the following statements is true or false.
1. About 50 houses in Nakhon Phanom were damaged.
……………….
2. Ratchadaporn Choobthaisong resides in Phrae.
……………….
3. Suwit Soikong was found dead inside his house.
……………….
4. Nearly 300 homes in Phrae were partially damaged.
……………….
Vocabulary
- havoc (n): a situation in which there is a lot of damage, destruction or confusion
hail (n): small pieces of ice that fall like rain during a hailstorm
terrified (adj): very frightened
