Yasothon Opens Eight Dam Gates as Floodwaters Rise
Yasothon Province is experiencing severe flooding after heavy rains caused the Yang River to overflow, submerging Highway 202 under 35 cm of water and inundating over 19,500 rai of rice fields. Authorities have opened all eight spillway gates at Yasothon Dam to discharge water at 563 cubic meters per second and have declared an emergency affecting four districts, 17 subdistricts and 80 villages. Warning signs have been placed on the flooded highway and residents are urged to move livestock and belongings to higher ground.
The flood situation continues to affect main transportation routes, with the Yasothon Highway Office reporting that Highway 202 from Yasothon to the Lam Sae Bridge, between kilometer markers 270+450 and 270+650 in Mueang Yasothon District, has water levels of about 35 centimeters over the road surface, making it difficult for small vehicles to pass. Officers have installed warning signs and advised road users to avoid the route or use nearby U-turn points for safety.
Meanwhile, accumulated floodwaters flowing from the Phu Phan mountain range through Kalasin and Roi Et provinces have overflowed into the Yang River, an important tributary of the Chi River, causing water to overtop the banks in areas without levees and inundate low-lying areas such as Ban Mai Chumphon in Deet Subdistrict, Mueang Yasothon, cutting off village access and entry‑exit routes. The irrigation project has maintained a red‑flag warning signal at the highest alert level, urging residents to quickly move belongings and livestock to higher ground.
Regarding the Chi River at the Yasothon‑Phom Phrai reservoir (in Khueng Kham subdistrict, Mueang Yasothon), stored water has risen to 76.92 percent of the dam’s capacity, with the downstream water level at 123.00 meters mean sea level. Irrigation officials have opened all eight spillway gates, each 1.80 meters high, to discharge water at a rate of 563 cubic meters per second to accommodate additional incoming floodwaters. They have also ordered round‑the‑clock monitoring of the stability of the province’s four major reservoirs to prevent floodwaters from reaching the inner economic zone.
