The Ping River overflowed its banks, flooding downtown and other commercial areas in Chiang Mai’s Muang district on Tuesday night.
Authorities issued warnings to nearby residents about an impending large wave of runoff expected from Chiang Dao district by Wednesday evening.
The river continued to rise sharply, surpassing the danger level of 4.2 meters at the Nawarat Bridge gauge around midnight and escalating to 4.45 meters by early Wednesday morning before leveling off.
Floodwaters breached the riverbanks, swamping commercial streets such as Chang Khan and Charoen Prathet, and affecting the Night Bazaar. Communities in the low-lying Pa Daed and Nong Hoi areas were also submerged.
To fortify the riverbanks, Chiang Mai Municipality, along with various government bodies, set up sandbag barricades. These sandbags were also distributed to locals to help safeguard their neighborhoods.
Under the pressure, drainage systems failed, exacerbating the flooding throughout Muang district with water levels reaching 30-50 centimeters deep, rendering some roads unusable for smaller vehicles.
Many compared this event to the severe floods Chiang Mai experienced in 2022.
On Wednesday, Irrigation Office 1 alerted the public to expect additional flooding due to northern runoff, propelled by significant overnight rainfall, originating from the Mae Taeng and Nam Ping rivers in Chiang Dao district.
This runoff was set to merge with the already swollen Ping River by Wednesday night, likely causing further increases in water levels.
Around 5am, water levels at the P1 monitoring station at Nawarat Bridge hit a peak of 4.45 meters, according to the irrigation office.
To alleviate the situation, water pumps were installed, and teams equipped with heavy-duty clearing equipment were mobilized in coordination with other agencies to assist those affected.
The municipal hospital was designated as a temporary refuge by Chiang Mai Municipality to support those impacted, especially the elderly and those unable to move freely.
Work teams were placed on high alert in anticipation of the new surge of water expected to arrive on Wednesday night.
