Strong winds on Tuesday and Wednesday damaged over 900 houses of residents in three communes in Preah Sihanouk province’s Prey Nop district, local authorities said on Thursday.
Prey Nop district administrative director Vorl Chan Voleak said the residents of Samaki, Teuk La’ak and Teuk Thla communes were distressed by the strong winds, caused by the cold weather, after they flattened seven homes and destroyed the roofs of 902 others. No injuries or deaths were reported.
“Currently the authorities are repairing the [damaged] houses, and advising them on how to better protect their homes from storm damage,” she said, adding that those affected were instructed to use strong ropes to tie their home posts to trees to prevent collapse.
Teuk La’ak commune chief Hak San said on Thursday that the cold season, from December to January, always brings strong winds blowing from Kam Chay and Boko mountains to the communes, destroying their houses and crops.
Of the 902 homes damaged, 316 were in Teuk La’ak commune, he said.
On Thursday, the provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology deputy director Heng Sophornrith reported a drop in temperature in Preah Sihanouk province to 21C, accompanied by strong winds in some areas.
The National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) spokesman Keo Vy told The Post on Thursday that over the past 11 months, strong winds have killed eight people, injured 131, flattened 1,638 houses and damaged the roofs of 13,600 houses, 93 schools, and 39 administrative buildings.
