When flood waters invaded Amphorn Kaeophengkro’s home in the southern Thai city of Hat Yai on Saturday (29), there was no time to escape.
Instead, her family of eight rushed to the second floor as the water level rose, spending 48 hours perched on top of a table, a window and a washing machine.
“We weren’t thinking about anything other than survival,” the 44-year-old told Reuters in a candlelit home as her family began cleaning up the disaster caused by torrential rains that hit Thailand over the past week.
“We just wanted to make sure everyone around us was safe.”
Nine provinces in southern Thailand were affected by floods, leaving at least 170 people dead.
In Songkhla province, the capital Hat Yai received 335 mm of rain last Friday (28), spread over two days of heavy downpours, the highest daily rate in .
The rains raised the temperature, leaving many in their homes, according to information from Reuters.
Some furniture on the second floor of Amphorn’s house was floating, so family members found only a few dry, stable places where they could sit.
“Sometimes we sat on the edge of the window and had to lift our legs to keep them from sinking too far into the water,” she said, holding a candle inside the dark house.
It is not yet known when electricity will be restored in many flood-hit areas in Hat Yai and other surrounding regions.
The government of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the municipal administration have been criticized for their handling of the floods, which led to the displacement of more than 16,000 people into emergency shelters.
Since the disaster, the national government has removed the Hat Yai district chief and transferred the police chief.
While stranded, Amphorn said her family would occasionally shout to neighbors and try to communicate.
“If a boat or someone passed by, we would shout to let them know what we needed,” she said.
“Even if it didn’t make much difference, at least we tried to get attention.”
