Chiang Mai sets up emergency shelters, command centre ahead of storm Wipha
Chiang Mai sets up 24-hour command centre and emergency shelters for over 20,000 people as storm Wipha brings heavy rainfall and risks of flooding.
Nirat Pongsitthaworn, Governor of Chiang Mai Province, has announced the establishment of an Emergency Command Centre to prepare for storm Wipha. The centre will monitor and respond proactively to the situation following the Thai Meteorological Department’s prediction of heavy rainfall, particularly in the upper districts of Mae Ai, Fang, Chai Prakan, Wiang Haeng, Chiang Dao, and Phrao.
The province has set up a central command centre at the Smart Water Centre, Chiang Mai Irrigation Office 1, to track the storm and manage the emergency response 24/7. In addition, a field command centre has been established at the P.1 water level monitoring station near Navarat Bridge for easy public access.
To manage the situation, a forward command centre has also been set up at Fang District Office to oversee operations in the five northern districts of Chiang Mai.
In terms of mobilising resources and personnel, the province is prepared with 40 shelters that can accommodate over 20,000 people. Additionally, free parking spaces for over 10,000 vehicles will be available throughout the province. A 24-hour helpline, 1567, has also been set up to assist residents with complaints and support.
According to the Northern Meteorological Centre, Chiang Mai is expected to experience the heaviest rainfall from storm Wipha on Wednesday (July 23), which will be directly caused by the storm and further exacerbated by the southwest monsoon. Although rainfall will decrease after that, the monsoon is expected to continue until July 29, and officials are closely monitoring the situation, particularly the flow of water from the upper regions, which is expected to reach the Ping River and flow through Chiang Mai city on July 26-27.
The Chiang Mai Irrigation Office 1 has confirmed that the region’s dams and reservoirs are able to handle the storm’s impact. The Mae Ngat Somboon Chon Dam alone can accommodate an additional 126 million cubic metres of water, with each storm typically adding 40-50 million cubic metres to the dam’s capacity.
