Also in attendance at yesterday’s meeting, held at the Phuket Provincial Office, were Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok and heads of local government agencies.
Regarding floods on the island, Gov Norraphat said, “There are 19 points on Thepkrasattri Rd that always flood. The Phuket Highway Department and local administration offices will make plans to reduce floods at each of these points and should seek budgets from the government should they be needed.
“In addition, if heavy rain persists for one to two hours officials will give assistance where required. Rescue workers will also be on standby in those areas susceptible to floods, and road users will be assisted if vehicles get stuck to avoid traffic jam,” Gov Norraphat noted.
“Furthermore, it is important that people check that news and information they share about floods is correct. In the past people have shared old information. Please do not do that because it is very dangerous and could damage the island’s tourism image. When tourists see scary situations they will avoid coming to visit Phuket,” he warned.
“Another issue is that we will soon be holding a tsunami evacuation drill. We have informed local offices to resurvey evacuation routes already in place. These routes will be analysed to find if anything needs to be improved such as stop points and helicopter landing sites,” Gov Norraphat explained.
“The most import thing for flooding and a possible tsunami is that we pay attention to alarm systems. These systems must be quick and clear. Local offices must be alert at all times. There should also be illuminated alarm warnings in case a tsunami happens at night," he added.