Following days of severe weather that led officials to issue emergency warnings in more than five provinces and launch efforts to evacuate residents in the country’s coastal and northern regions, people living along the Mekong must now brace for flooding from water surging downstream, officials said on Sunday.
Keo Vy, spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management, said parts of the Mekong River in Kratie and Kompong Cham provinces were seeing a rapid rise. Its powerful flow drowned a 60-year-old man in Kratie on Saturday, officials reported.
Elsewhere, river levels in Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey and Stung Treng provinces all dropped by about 10 centimeters on Sunday, Mr. Vy said.
“The flood in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces is now receding and the water is now flowing to the Stung Sen stream,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Water Resources and Meteorology Ministry issued a water-shortage warning for six provinces expected to last until August 9.
“The national committee has informed people living in lower areas [Phnom Penh, Kampot, Takeo, Kompong Speu, Kandal and Kep] to keep water for using in rice cultivation because there will be no rain for this dry period,” Mr. Vy said.
Residents in Preah Vihear, where some 410 families have been evacuated due to flooding, will likely welcome a dry spell.
Un Chanda, governor of Preah Vihear, said that while water levels were receding, homes along the Stung Sen River were still inundated with water.
“The people who were evacuated to the safety of the hills have not yet been able to return home,” Mr. Chanda said, adding that provincial authorities were providing families with food, shelter and medical care.
