Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by deadly floods sweeping across Thailand and Vietnam, a crisis that has killed scores and stranded entire communities as meteorologists and climate analysts warn of heavier rains driven by La Nina and long-term warming.
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The scale of the inundation has highlighted how a late-season monsoon surge, layered onto fragile flood-management systems, is overwhelming towns and cities from southern Thailand to Vietnam’s central coast, with Malaysia bracing itself for its turn as the severe weather moves south.
Vast stretches of central and southern Thailand are under water after days of relentless rain breached riverbanks and forced authorities to release water from swollen dams.
Hat Yai, a major southern city in Songkhla province, has been declared a disaster zone as officials on Monday warned floodwaters were yet to peak.
That follows several grim days which have seen tens of thousands evacuated from their homes, roads and rail links cut and power shortages as electricity poles were devoured by the surging muddy torrent that has taken over the city centre.
Panicked relatives have been unable to contact loved ones left behind without electricity or fresh food for three days in submerged Hat Yai, a city which is a popular getaway with Malaysian tourists.
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“This is the worst we have ever experienced,” said Choom, a Hat Yai Airbnb owner requesting to go by a nickname. “It’s been flood after flood. You can say it is climate change, but the lack of systematic flood management is just as much to blame,” he said, reflecting mounting anger at the failure to handle the annual flood scourge.