Thailand floods force Bangkok evacuations

Thailand faces its “worst flooding in half a century,” according to AlertNet. The monsoon season this year brought enough water that the floods have been escalating since mid-July, and is now overwhelming the country’s capitol.

Bangkok, Thailand, is protected by dikes, but the over the past several days the water has been more than the dikes could handle. Last week, the government opened some of the canals to relieve pressure on the dikes.  However, now the government has declared a five day holiday for Bangkok citizens to evacuate the city. Hotel rooms in the nonflooded south are hard to find, and while people are stocking up on nonperishable food, safe water is scarce.

For more information, see the full article on AlertNet.