Bangkok Flood Latest News: Almost 400 Dead; Residents Prepare for Worst
Residents of Bangkok are preparing for peak tides that have the potential to bring devastating floods – putting the city and surrounding areas at risk.
The peaks are predicted to occur Saturday and will be a test for Bangkok's flood defenses.
Most residents have made their way to beach resorts that haven't been impacted by the floods. However, some of the remaining residents are facing a water shortage and unconfirmed reports say that crocodiles and snakes have gotten into the waters.
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"We are hearing disturbing reports of dangerous animals such as snakes and crocodiles appearing in the floodwaters and every day we see children playing in the water, bathing or wading through it trying to make their way to dry ground," according to a spokeswoman for Save the Children.
Most of the water has receded back to low tide for now, but residents are fearing the worst is yet to come and are buying life jackets and inflatable boats.
“You have to prepare,” said Fon Kanokporn, a banker who was purchasing a rubber boat.
One store in the area said they have sold over 3,000 boats in the last week. Some residents in a suburb of Bangkok said they could only get to their house by boat, as the roads have been flooded for weeks.
Floodwalls protecting inner-city Bangkok are 2.5 meters high. Tides are expected to be 2.6 meters Saturday. Friday's peak tide didn't break through the wall but did cause damage on the outskirts of the city.
Three months of monsoons have resulted in the worst flooding in Thailand in 60 years.
The water has been coming in from the Gulf of Thailand over the past few weeks and has submerged a third of the country. The tides have killed almost 400 people and have left nearly 110,000 stranded.
