Possible Flood...

We just received word that Hat Yai is expected to flood within the next 4 hours...In the year 2000 there was a flood here in Hat Yai that left the city close to 7 feet underwater in some areas. Many are saying that this could reoccur this week because of the amount of water that has been backing up in surrounding cities and here in Hat Yai itself. In Hat Yai Nai (the outskirts of Hat Yai) the klung (which is a big drainage ditch) has overflowed and it is 30 feet deep!

Please keep us and the people of Hat Yai in your prayers. We are fortunate enough to live in a row house that has a second floor so if the waters do come up very high we can go up to the second floor of the house but most people here are not so fortunate! If the waters come up again it will leave many people homeless and do much damage.

We do not fear for our safety at all but for the safety of the Thai people we interact with daily. We'll update as soon as possible. Thanks for your prayers!!!

Here is an article on the flood that happened in 2000 (there are quite a few on the internet):

Waters recede in southern Thailand
On Monday, flood waters receded in Thailand's 10 southern provinces, where at least 600,000 people were affected by the heavy rain over the past week. Thai meteorologists said rains in southern Thailand would continue for the next couple of days, but would not be heavy enough to threaten further flooding.

The waters were fast receding in the key commercial town of Hat Yai, where floods and rain had paralysed life for almost five days. Officials said electricity would be turned on by 1000 GMT in most areas in the rubber producing city with a population of 400,000.

"Tap water will also be back later today," said an official at the
rescue centre in Hat Yai. Prices of consumer goods were rising and a few merchants were hoarding stocks in the flood-hit areas, "but now no shortage of food is seen," said Pachorn at the rescue centre in Bangkok.
Trains to Hat Yai, which were suspended for the past few days, were scheduled to resume from Monday evening, a Hat Yai railway spokeswoman said.

Thai Airways (THAI.BK), which had not suspended its flights to Hat Yai, said people could now commute into town from the airport as the water level had receded.

"All kinds of cars since Sunday evening can move in and out of Hat Yai
as the flood waters have receded," Prasong of the Highways Departnemt said.