‘Once In 300 Years’ Rain Leaves Hat Yai, Thailand Flooded
A man wades through floodwaters in Hat Yai
Record floods have hit the Southern Thailand city of Hat Yai near the border of Malaysia. The city has received its heaviest rainfall in 300 years with 335 millimeters coming down in a single day. This crisis has been ongoing since Friday November 21st.
The death toll across seven provinces has reached 33 people with millions across Southern Thailand affected. The main causes of death have been electrocution and flood related. The Thai military has dispatched its military ships and helicopters to provide aid and is currently preparing an aircraft carrier along with a 14 boat flotilla with supplies and field kitchens aimed at delivering up to 3,000 meals a day.
Stranded vehicles litter the streets of Hat Yai
The scene in Hat Yai is grim with the streets flooded up to the second story of buildings in some areas. The power is out and cars and scooters are flipped over in the floods with debris clogging the streets. Many people are cut off from evacuation and lacking food and water, with some taking to the roofs of their homes. In one case now all over social media, three young boys were seen hanging onto a powerline as they crept their way to safety. The flood waters reached the second floor of Hat Yai’s main government hospital leading to the evacuation of 50 intensive care unit patients using the military helicopters.
The Thai military is working on giving aid to everyone affected and is attempting to divert the flood waters into Songklah Lake and the Gulf of Thailand. The rains have eased up as of today Wednesday, November 26th but the situation remains unstable with many people still stranded and lacking relief.
Near the Central Hat Yai mall
All photos and footage were taken by We Better Hover journalist Graham Whelan on Saturday November 22nd, he evacuated later that day. Since then the situation has severely escalated and these photos show just a fraction of the flood water depths Hat Yai is now experiencing a few days later.
