Cambodia: Record rainfall floods capital, causes chaos
Phnom Penh residents spent two days pelted by record heavy rainfall, which caused flooding along major boulevards, forcing vehicles to stop and stall, and in some cases drivers couldn’t restart their cars, with strong winds blowing down trees and billboards, and damaging property.
On Friday, strong winds and heavy rainfall also knocked down billboards on Street 2004, injuring a Tuk Tuk driver, while trees blown over by the weather damaged houses, but no other injuries were reported.
National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) spokesman Soth Kimkolmony said yesterday that for two consecutive days from June 10-11, heavy rain dumped enough water on some areas in the capital to register record water levels of 111 millmetres for the two days. Some places were impassable to all traffic.
“Authorities have seen that this year’s rainfall has been heavy and some drainage systems are not emptying into the main canal, causing the 2004 road area to be inundated,” he said.
He added that Phnom Penh authorities have repaired and installed new sewer systems and have attempted to increase the capacity of pumping stations to release flood waters.
He also warned residents in the provinces, especially in mountainous areas such as Kampong Speu and Battambang, to watch out for floods, because the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology reported that the forecast this year is for 26-28 storms, a dramatic increase caused by changing weather conditions in the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea.
Ministry spokesman Chan Youttha said yesterday that for the first time in the capital, water levels reached 111 millimetres. He told people to be on alert of water levels that could flood homes.
Youttha added that water levels of 50 millimetres or higher can cause flooding, but the levels reached over the past two days are unprecedented.
He added that the ministry is currently cooperating with Phnom Penh City Hall to continue the restoration of the main canal and is building a new pumping station at Boeng Tompun, which is why the floods in Phnom Penh are so high.
“According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, the floods caused by the rising Mekong River this year may not be worrying, but this year’s heavy rains will bring a lot of water to farming areas vulnerable to flooding,” he said.
St. 2004 resident Phos Minea, 35, said yesterday that this year he could not believe the amount of rain was heavier than last year, which caused his house to flood, and he noticed hundreds of stalled vehicles that could not operate in the flood waters.
“Every time it rains, floodwaters inundate houses and the water comes out of the drains, damaging property and affecting our health. Some places are knee-deep in water, and some water is higher than our knees. The water also contains stinking waste from the sewer,” he said.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES