31 July / 4th August 2024
With 4 days of rain @ Chiang Khong & a rapid 5 metre rise in the river in the last few days got me to thinking about the last flood & when was the great flood?
1.30pm 31st July 2024
11.45am Thursday 1st August.
11.30am Friday 2nd August.
My last recollections of real high water @ Chiang Khong are in 2008 & 2018.
2008 Chiang Khong & the old the ferry landing, with the international immigration / customs crossing.
Today, the same ferry port with the river rising.
2008 @ Rai Saeng Arun Resort
2015 a view of the Rai Saeng Arun damage.
maps.app.goo.gl
But from what I can see all records refer to 1966 as the great flood.
The Mekong river has exceeded its highest recorded level of 12.38 metres in 1966, inundating homes and farmland from 9 August in the northern province of Chiang Rai all the way to the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom.
It affected Thailand & Laos, with Vientiane particularly hard hit.
The cause was typhoon Phyllis that blew in from the West & Vietnam, to remain stationary over northern Laos & SW China for a few weeks, dumping massive amounts of rain.
All that water drained into the Mekong, flowed downstream & flooded all the riverside communities that had very little flood protection in those days.
Some areas of Chiang Khong district suffered flooding for 2 months.
Vientiane suffered for much longer with the flood waters as far as the Pratu Xay monument.
300 people died in Laos from those 1966 floods.
Most of the country's rice crop was wiped out & it was near famine!
The Mekong flood level of 1966 was actually surpassed by the 2008 flood, but there were effective flood protections measures in place so the damage was perhaps not as great.
The 2008 Flood
Tropical storm Kammuri was the main culprit for the flood in 2008, a La Nina year.
It rained continuously for a couple of weeks in August.
Note too that 2024 is also a La Nina year, starting now!
The origin of the floodwater was more or less evenly split between China below Jinghong and the large left-bank tributaries in northern Lao PDR.
A rapid water level rise at Luang Prabang occurred one day before water levels rose at Man An tributary station in China.
Whilst there was some flooding upstream from Vientiane / Nong Khai, downstream, including Vientiane & Nong Khai, was particularly bad on both sides of the Khong.
Khon Kaen had more than 1.5 times the mean annual rainfall of 1,250 mm.
At Pakxan over 800 mm was recorded over the 10 days 11-20 August, once up to 200 mm in 1 day.
For the 10-day Laos record in 1927 Xepon had 1,255 mm & in 1996 Attapeu had 1,020 mm.
2018 Flood
Extreme rainfall in July and August from tropical storm Son-Tinh caused the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy dam to collapse in Attapeu.
A month later Tropical storm Bebinca followed to bring intense rain & flooding to both N Laos & N Thailand.
It ended up in N Thailand for an extended period.
The old Houei Xai port 31st July 2018 with the Khong up.
The Chiang Khong cargo port 1st August 2018
The Mekong flooding between Thailand & Laos can be divided into 2 regions, above & below Vientiane / Nong Khai.
Upstream from from Vientiane, the only rivers, feeding into the Mekong are
A From Thailand
1. Ruak.
2. Kok + Fang + Nam Lao.
3. Nam Kham.
4. Nam Ing.
5. Nam Loei.
N From Laos
1. Nam Ma.
2. Nam Tha
3. Nam Ou
4. Nam Khan
If these catchment areas feed large amounts of water into the Mekong they can cause flooding.
Generally though, these tributaries only make a small contribution to the overall flow of the Mekong.
Downstream from Vientiane the main rivers feeding into the Mekong are
A From N E Thailand.
1. Songkhram
2. Mun
3. Chi
The Mun - Chi system contributes only 10% to the average flood volume at that point on the mainstream.
B From Laos.
1. Nam Khan.
2. Nam Ngum / Nam Lik / Soong.
3. Nam Kading / Nam Theun..
4. Nam Ngiap.
5. Nam Xan.
6. Nam Hinboun.
7. Xe Bangfai.
8. Xe Banghiang.
The combined mean annual flow of all tributaries between Vientiane and Pakse is 171 km3, almost 40% of the total for the Mekong.
These big tributaries are significant contributors to the Mekong's water supply, especially in the wet.
Laos Historic Flood Pattern: During the last 30 years (1966 to 1995), 22 notable floods have occurred with an average frequency of once in 1.4 years.
Of these 22 historic floods, only four were large, covering the whole country (1966, 1971, 1978 and 1995), giving an average frequency of once in every 7.5 years.
source: FLOOD MANAGEMENT AND MITIGATION IN THE MEKONG RIVER BASIN
Historical records of the Mekong floods from 1960.
Another version of flood data for Laos
Enjoy. Watching the Khong go up & down can be a wonderful experience.
See also
www.gt-rider.com
www.gt-rider.com
With 4 days of rain @ Chiang Khong & a rapid 5 metre rise in the river in the last few days got me to thinking about the last flood & when was the great flood?
1.30pm 31st July 2024
11.45am Thursday 1st August.
11.30am Friday 2nd August.
My last recollections of real high water @ Chiang Khong are in 2008 & 2018.
2008 Chiang Khong & the old the ferry landing, with the international immigration / customs crossing.
Today, the same ferry port with the river rising.
2008 @ Rai Saeng Arun Resort
2015 a view of the Rai Saeng Arun damage.
Rai Saeng Arun · 2 บ้านผากุบ Rim Khong, Chiang Khong District, Chiang Rai 57140, Thailand
★★★★★ · Hotel
maps.app.goo.gl
But from what I can see all records refer to 1966 as the great flood.
The Mekong river has exceeded its highest recorded level of 12.38 metres in 1966, inundating homes and farmland from 9 August in the northern province of Chiang Rai all the way to the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom.
It affected Thailand & Laos, with Vientiane particularly hard hit.
The cause was typhoon Phyllis that blew in from the West & Vietnam, to remain stationary over northern Laos & SW China for a few weeks, dumping massive amounts of rain.
All that water drained into the Mekong, flowed downstream & flooded all the riverside communities that had very little flood protection in those days.
Some areas of Chiang Khong district suffered flooding for 2 months.
Vientiane suffered for much longer with the flood waters as far as the Pratu Xay monument.
300 people died in Laos from those 1966 floods.
Most of the country's rice crop was wiped out & it was near famine!
The Mekong flood level of 1966 was actually surpassed by the 2008 flood, but there were effective flood protections measures in place so the damage was perhaps not as great.
The 2008 Flood
Tropical storm Kammuri was the main culprit for the flood in 2008, a La Nina year.
It rained continuously for a couple of weeks in August.
Note too that 2024 is also a La Nina year, starting now!
The origin of the floodwater was more or less evenly split between China below Jinghong and the large left-bank tributaries in northern Lao PDR.
A rapid water level rise at Luang Prabang occurred one day before water levels rose at Man An tributary station in China.
Whilst there was some flooding upstream from Vientiane / Nong Khai, downstream, including Vientiane & Nong Khai, was particularly bad on both sides of the Khong.
Khon Kaen had more than 1.5 times the mean annual rainfall of 1,250 mm.
At Pakxan over 800 mm was recorded over the 10 days 11-20 August, once up to 200 mm in 1 day.
For the 10-day Laos record in 1927 Xepon had 1,255 mm & in 1996 Attapeu had 1,020 mm.
2018 Flood
Extreme rainfall in July and August from tropical storm Son-Tinh caused the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy dam to collapse in Attapeu.
A month later Tropical storm Bebinca followed to bring intense rain & flooding to both N Laos & N Thailand.
It ended up in N Thailand for an extended period.
The old Houei Xai port 31st July 2018 with the Khong up.
The Chiang Khong cargo port 1st August 2018
The Mekong flooding between Thailand & Laos can be divided into 2 regions, above & below Vientiane / Nong Khai.
Upstream from from Vientiane, the only rivers, feeding into the Mekong are
A From Thailand
1. Ruak.
2. Kok + Fang + Nam Lao.
3. Nam Kham.
4. Nam Ing.
5. Nam Loei.
N From Laos
1. Nam Ma.
2. Nam Tha
3. Nam Ou
4. Nam Khan
If these catchment areas feed large amounts of water into the Mekong they can cause flooding.
Generally though, these tributaries only make a small contribution to the overall flow of the Mekong.
Downstream from Vientiane the main rivers feeding into the Mekong are
A From N E Thailand.
1. Songkhram
2. Mun
3. Chi
The Mun - Chi system contributes only 10% to the average flood volume at that point on the mainstream.
B From Laos.
1. Nam Khan.
2. Nam Ngum / Nam Lik / Soong.
3. Nam Kading / Nam Theun..
4. Nam Ngiap.
5. Nam Xan.
6. Nam Hinboun.
7. Xe Bangfai.
8. Xe Banghiang.
The combined mean annual flow of all tributaries between Vientiane and Pakse is 171 km3, almost 40% of the total for the Mekong.
These big tributaries are significant contributors to the Mekong's water supply, especially in the wet.
Laos Historic Flood Pattern: During the last 30 years (1966 to 1995), 22 notable floods have occurred with an average frequency of once in 1.4 years.
Of these 22 historic floods, only four were large, covering the whole country (1966, 1971, 1978 and 1995), giving an average frequency of once in every 7.5 years.
source: FLOOD MANAGEMENT AND MITIGATION IN THE MEKONG RIVER BASIN
Historical records of the Mekong floods from 1960.
Another version of flood data for Laos
Enjoy. Watching the Khong go up & down can be a wonderful experience.
See also
Mekong Flooding Now!
2008 Heavy rains and flooding are forecast for Northern and NE Thailand. The Mekong is overflowing it's banks. Here are some photos sent to me from David and Mai who live in Chiang Khong. The ferry service is not running and David says trucks are backed up waiting for it to resume. I don't...
www.gt-rider.com
The Mekong
I always love riding alongside the Mekong & Chiang Khong is my fave spot on the 'Khong. The Mekong river's always changing up & down, & colours. If you're like me & miss the 'Khong & views of it, here's what is was like on Saturday 19th July 2008. Houei Xai (Laos) from Tammila guesthouse...
www.gt-rider.com
Last edited: