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World / Thailand

Floodwaters Overwhelm Thailand

NASA
1 min read Rewritten in plain language

Reported by 1 newsroomRead the original at NASA

Earth ObservatoryFloodsLandsat 8LDCMLandsat 9

In short

  • Heavy rains since mid-September have caused flooding that has affected millions of people across the country.
  • The right image above shows land along the Bang Pakong River and nearby agricultural areas and aquaculture facilities inundated on October 2, 2026.
  • About 100 kilometers to the west, Bangkok received nearly 300 millimeters of rain over a 48-hour period, according to news reports, close to the average monthly rainfall total for September of 344 millimeters.

3 sentences from our version of the report, chosen to cover it. Nothing here is written; every line is in the article below. How

The article, shortened and in plain language

Heavy rains since mid-September have caused flooding that has affected millions of people across the country.

September falls in the heart of the monsoon season in Thailand, where cities and towns are accustomed to the afternoon rains and thunderstorms that often roll through.

Prachin Buri province was among the areas where flooding was widespread. The right image above shows land along the Bang Pakong River and nearby agricultural areas and aquaculture facilities inundated on October 2, 2026. The left image shows the same area at the same time of year in 2025.

Some of the flooding likely stemmed from a low-pressure system that stalled over the area for several days in late September. Stoked by moisture and energy from the warm Gulf of Thailand nearby, the system delivered especially intense rains to the region. About 100 kilometers to the west, Bangkok received nearly 300 millimeters of rain over a 48-hour period, according to news reports, close to the average monthly rainfall total for September of 344 millimeters.

Our plainer version of NASA’s report, shortened: the same facts and quotations, with the loaded words taken out.

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How loaded the writing isLanguage Load Language Load is one number from 0 to 100 for how loaded a report’s writing is. Lower is plainer. 0 is a plain report, the facts said plainly; 100 is loaded throughout. It reads the writing, not the events, so a plain report of a sad story can still score low. Most reports are written fairly plainly and score under 20; the differences are in the loaded words, the drama and the claims nobody puts their name to.

Language Load 11.7was 15.9light load plainloaded Sourcing 18 · thin attribution unattributedfully attributed Higher is better: how much of the report says who said it.

Scored on our version; “was” is NASA’s original.

Shortened to 1 minute of reading, this version reads 9.4 on Language Load.

8 words taken out of the report.

widespread frequently 60 miles 11.8 inches 13.5 inches

Show what we removed

How it is written, not whether it is correct. What each reading means.

What changed

Headline check

The one thing this headline claims did not turn up in the report.

  • “Overwhelm” is named in the headline. We could not find it in the report.

Figures, names and quoted words in the headline, looked for in the report itself — not in the summary above. Names are matched as they are spelled, so a report that says “New South Wales” where the headline says “NSW” is queried here when it should not be. One name in this headline is spelled almost the same as a word in the report — the difference between a country and its adjective, for instance. We cannot tell whether they are the same thing, so that one was not checked either way rather than reported as missing. How this is checked

Show what we removed Rules applied: A1×3 A9 D3×4 E3×3 all 30 rules

Compare newsrooms

How loaded the writing was, and our plainer version

Only this newsroom has covered it so far.

Outlet Language LoadAdjectivesper 100 wordsSourcingMood
NASAas they published this story 15.9 5.0 18 39.1
Mundane Readneutralized from NASA 11.7 4.0 18 39.1
Detailed analysis adjectives and mood

Word choice and tone

Highlighted in the text. Words that carry a fact and quoted words are not counted.
Mood 39.1 · downbeat griefjoy How heavy the news is to read: what happened, and how heavily it is told. Not a verdict on the outlet.

How it is written, not whether it is correct. Other readings are listed only when they find something. What each one means.

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