Flood situation in most states unchanged despite better weather

KUALA LUMPUR – Despite the improved weather, the situation in most states affected by floods since Saturday remains largely unchanged.

In Selangor, the state contingent police headquarters informed that the number of roads that were still closed due to the floods had declined from 73 yesterday to 45 as of 4am today.

They involve 26 roads in areas under the jurisdiction of the Kuala Langat district police headquarters, 11 under Subang Jaya, four under Sepang, two under Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and one each for Klang Utara and Hulu Selangor.

According to the Social Welfare Department’s InfoBencana portal as 7.50am, the number of flood victims in Selangor had risen to 24,647 people from 6,935 families, from 24,533 people from 6,907 families last night, and were being housed at 134 relief centres.

In Terengganu, the number of flood victims stood at 63 people from 13 families as of this morning.

The State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said in a statement that flood evacuees were placed at three relief centres in Kemaman and the weather in most places in Terengganu is forecast to be clear throughout the day, adding that victims would be allowed to return to their homes when the floodwaters recede completely.

Meanwhile, in Pahang, the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that 37,793 flood evacuees are currently taking shelter at 280 relief centres in nine districts.

Kuantan recorded the highest number of flood victims with 21,489 people, followed by Temerloh (6,972) and Lipis (2,084), while other affected districts are Bentong, Raub, Jerantut, Bera, Maran, and Pekan.

The Public Infobanjir portal reported that several major rivers in Pahang are still above the danger level, including Sg Pahang, with some locations recording an upward trend namely at the waterfront in Bera, Kg Chenor in Maran, Lubuk Pasu in Temerloh, and Kuala Sg Chini in Pekan.

The concessionaire of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway and the East Coast Expressway Phase 1 (LPT1), Anih Bhd, said that the routes closed due to floods since Sunday are still closed, especially from  KM76 to KM126 Lanchang-Temerloh at LPT1 and KM71 KL-Karak in both directions.

Among the main roads affected are Jalan Sg Lembing in Kuantan, Jalan Kuala Lipis-Jerantut, Jalan Jerantut-Maran, Jalan Bentong-Gua Musang, Jalan Pulau Tawar-Durian Hijau, and Jalan Karak-Simpang Pelangai.

In Melaka, the number of flood evacuees had increased to 465 victims from 111 families this morning, from 404 victims from 96 families as of 8pm yesterday.

Melaka Civil Defence Force director Cuthbert John Martin said in Alor Gajah, a total of 206 people from 53 families have been evacuated to relief centres, while in Melaka Tengah it involves 191 people from 44 families.

“In Jasin, there are 68 victims from 14 families. A total of nine centres are still operating to house all flood victims in the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Kelantan, only one major river was reported to be at the danger level, namely Sg Golok in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas, which recorded a reading of 9.96m as of 7am, following yesterday’s good weather.

The official eBanjir Kelantan portal reported that Sg Kelantan at Guillemard Bridge was at the warning level with a reading of 14.57m, Sg Kelantan in Tangga Krai recorded an alert level (22.m), and Sg Lebir in Tualang, Kuala Krai at the normal level of 26.01m.

According to the InfoBencana app, 3,467 people from 1,034 families are currently taking shelter at 32 centres this morning, involving four districts namely Kuala Krai, Pasir Mas, Gua Musang and Tanah Merah.

In Perak, a total of 319 victims from two districts were currently being housed at three centres as of 8am.

The spokesman for the state Civil Defence Force and State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said the victims in Hilir Perak were placed at two centres in Dewan Bandaran Teluk Intan (136 people) and Dewan Sekolah Menengah Abdul Rahman Talib (148), while 35 were placed in Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Slim in Muallim.

He said the floodwaters in Kg Kuala Slim, Muallim have started to recede following the good weather this morning while the houses of flood victims in Hilir Perak were still inundated. – Bernama, December 21, 2021