Hundreds flee from Johor floods

The Star 14 Mar 08;

JOHOR BARU: Floods in three districts in Johor have forced the evacuation of a total of 710 people.

State Traffic and Public Order chief Supt T. Raveendran said the districts involved were Johor Baru, Kluang and Batu Pahat.

He explained that the evacuees from 167 families were placed in relief six centres.

He said in Johor Baru, a total of 439 victims, mostly from Kampung Laut, Skudai, were placed in one centre.

“In Kluang, 218 people were evacuated to three centres and in Batu Pahat, 53 victims were placed in two centres.

“Water is about 3m deep in most of the areas,” he said, adding that the floods were caused by incessant rain since Wednesday.

Supt Raveendran said no casualties or injuries were reported so far and the state police headquarters operation room was opened here at 8pm yesterday.

He urged anyone with information or problems to contact the police hotline at 07-2212999 or the nearest police station


710 Evacuated Due To Floods
Bernama 13 Mar 08;

JOHOR BAHARU, March 13 (Bernama) -- More than 710 residents in three districts in the state have been evacuated following floods due to heavy rain since yesterday.

The districts affected by the floods are Johor Baharu, Kluang and Batu Pahat.

State Traffic and Public Order Chief, Supt T. Raveendran when contacted said the victims from 167 families had been evacuated to six relief centres.

He said 439 of the victims were from Johor Baharu, mostly from Kampung Laut, Skudai which was a flood-prone area, who were evacuated to a relief centre.

He also said that 218 victims were evacuated to three relief centres in Kluang, and 53 others to two centres in Batu Pahat.

"The water level in most areas had reached three metres," he said.

There were no injuries or loss of lives reported.

Meanwhile, police had opened the flood operations room at 8pm tonight.

Members of the public can contact the operations room at telephone number 07-2212999 for information on the floods.

-- BERNAMA

Flood victim numbers decrease
Mohd Faizal Hassan, Bernama 14 Mar 08;

JOHOR BARU, Fri.: The number of flood victims in five districts in Johor dropped to 666 this morning from 710 last night as the flood waters started to recede in several places.
A spokesman of the state police flood operations room told Bernama that the Kluang district had the highest number at 316, followed by Segamat (139), Johor Baru (129), Batu Pahat (71), and Kota Tinggi (11).

“The victims from 133 families are housed at 16 evacuation centres in the state. The water level remains at the warning level in many areas,” he said.

The public can call the flood operations room at 07-2212999 for information.

Evacuees go home
The Star 15 Mar 08;

JOHOR BARU: Flood evacuation centres in Kota Tinggi and here have closed, and the evacuees have returned home.

Johor traffic and public order police chief Supt T. Raveendran said the 11 centres in three northern districts of the state however remained open.

At 3pm yesterday, there were 380 evacuees in Kluang, 157 in Segamat and six in Batu Pahat.

Most had headed to the nearest schools and multipurpose halls when the water began to rise in the evening.

In Kampung Laut where floodwaters had risen to over one metre, security guard Kosnan Rakiman, 56, was busy cleaning his muddied wooden house.

Kosnan said he did not suffer any loss this time because he had nothing else to lose.

“I lost everything in the two major floods two years ago. I don’t have money to buy replacements, so the house is still empty,” he said.

Kosnan, who has 12 children, said his five school-going children were depending on his salary of barely RM800 a month.

Half of his house was leaking after some tree branches fell onto the roof and damaged it in the previous flood.

Kosnan said the family had been living in such conditions for more than six months.

“I am worried that the tree may collapse and injure my children one day,” he said. He hoped the relevant authorities would remove the tree.