Water level at Stung Sen River in Preah Vihear province on August 27. PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION
A senior official at the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) said that while the water level in Stung Sen River in Preah Vihear province had risen 0.5m over the alert level, authorities were carefully monitoring the situation, with residents yet to be affected.
NCDM first vice-president Kun Kim said on August 28 that the water level in the Stung Sen River had reached 12m, with the alert level pegged at 11.5m.
"People living along the river regularly experience floods of 0.5m to 1m. The water is now under their houses, but they haven’t yet moved to higher ground as there hasn’t been damage to their properties.
"Residents along the river also have boats for transport when the water level rises. But on August 28, the water level appeared to have stopped or even receded a little, which will recede further if there is no more rain,” Kim said.
On August 27, Preah Vihear provincial governor Kim Rithy warned residents living along the Mekong River and in areas prone to flooding to exercise caution should the water level of the Stung Sen rise sharply.
"To ensure safety and prevent emergencies, all people in the province, especially those living along the Mekong River and in vulnerable flood areas, please be careful and find the nearest safe place,” he said.
Rithy said residents should provide information on the current situation to authorities as soon as possible to enable them to take the most effective action.
On August 27, Khim Finan, the governor of Siem Reap province's Banteay Srei district, warned residents to be aware of the risk of flooding.
"People living in Banteay Srei district, especially those living along rivers and in the foothills of Kulen Mountain, must be aware of the risk of flash floods and take care to avoid incident,” he said.
The NCDM's Kim said the high water of the Stung Sen River continued to flow into Kampong Thom province, which could cause flooding in the province in the next two to three days.
"In Kampong Thom, the water level of the Stung Sen may affect other rivers as well, and fields could be inundated, which could further damage the rice," he said.
