Death toll from Thailand's floods tops 600

--> AAA??Nov. 20, 2011?4:56 AM ET
Death toll from Thailand's floods tops 600
AP

Thai volunteers and city workers sweep an intersection during a cleaning drive after floodwaters receded in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Hundreds of city workers, police, army personnel and civilian volunteers performed the cleaning at various sites which were flooded earlier. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Thai volunteers and city workers sweep an intersection during a cleaning drive after floodwaters receded in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Hundreds of city workers, police, army personnel and civilian volunteers performed the cleaning at various sites which were flooded earlier. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Thai volunteers carry a bucket full of mud as they clean an intersection during a cleaning drive after floodwaters receded in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Hundreds of city workers, police, army personnel and civilian volunteers performed the cleaning at various sites which were flooded earlier. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Thai volunteers are reflected in a puddle as they clean an intersection during a cleaning drive after floodwaters receded in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Hundreds of city workers, police, army personnel and civilian volunteers performed the cleaning at various sites which were flooded earlier. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Thai volunteers clean an intersection during a cleaning drive after floodwaters receded in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Hundreds of city workers, police, army personnel and civilian volunteers performed the cleaning at various sites which were flooded earlier. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

A young Thai girl joins up as volunteers sweep an intersection during a cleaning drive after floodwaters receded in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Hundreds of city workers, police, army personnel and civilian volunteers performed the cleaning at various sites which were flooded earlier. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

BANGKOK (AP) ? The death toll from Thailand's worst flooding in more than half a century has passed 600.

The floods began in late July, fed by heavy monsoon rains and a series of tropical storms. The floodwaters swamped entire towns as they moved south through the country's central heartland to Bangkok and the Gulf of Thailand. More than two-thirds of the country's 77 provinces have been affected.

The government said Sunday that the death toll has reached 602, the majority from drowning. It said the number of affected provinces is currently 17.

The situation has improved dramatically in recent days and cleanup has begun in many areas, though some still face weeks more under water.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-20-AS-Thailand-Floods/id-acced3463e8649d291d298b4273cfb9b

cloudy with a chance of meatballs houston nutt houston nutt peter marshall peter marshall zombie boy zombie boy