Friday, January 4, 2019

Tropical storm, surging seas strike Thailand

Associated Press (ap.org); Editors, Wisdom Quarterly
Thai men push a fishing boat off the ocean to a safer location in Songkhla, Thailand in preparation for storm weather conditions on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Thai weather authorities are warning that a tropical storm will bring heavy rains and high seas to southern Thailand and its famed beach resorts.
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My dog and I are not safe for long (AP).
LAEM TALUMPUK, Thailand - Rain, winds, and surging seawater buffeted coastal villages and world-famous tourist resorts Friday, as Tropical Storm Pabuk made landfall on southern Thailand's east coast.


The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 42 mph (70 kph), hit the shore of Nakhon Si Thammarat province Friday afternoon and was roaring westward at 12 mph (20 kph), said Phuwieng Prakhammintara, director-general of the Thai Meteorological Department.
 
"We can expect heavy rain and downpours, flooding, and flash floods in the area throughout the night," he warned at a news conference. Earlier Friday, authorities in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, about 480 miles (800 kms) south of Bangkok, drove trucks through flooded streets with downed power lines, urging people to leave.
 
"Anyone still inside, please make noise and officials will help you out. You cannot stay here. You cannot stay here. It's too dangerous," they said from truck-mounted loudspeakers.

While torrential rain and strong winds are expected to affect more than a dozen other provinces, Nakon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani, home to the tourist islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and Koh Phangan, are expected to be the hardest hit. More

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