CHIANG MAI, Thailand —
Several provinces in central Thailand braced for floods Sunday after the Irrigation Department announced it was releasing water from a major dam after weeks of frequent heavy rain.
The rain stopped in the northern city of Chiang Mai, but many people, especially the elderly, remained cut off by floodwaters that in some areas were waist-high or more. Volunteer rescue teams, often traveling by boat, worked to supply them with food or evacuate them.
Further complicating the situation, electricity was cut off in some neighborhoods for safety reasons.
Areas popular with tourists, such as the city’s Night Bazaar and Tha Pae Gate, were under as much as a meter of water.
Central provinces, including the capital Bangkok, have been warned of possible flooding as the Irrigation Department plans to release water from the Chao Phraya Dam to keep it under capacity.
