Straits Times 8 Nov 09;
Thousands evacuated or isolated as storms strike states in Malaysia, Thailand and Australia
Kuala Lumpur - Continuous rain has caused flooding in parts of South-east Asia.
In Malaysia, 4,000 people from several villages in low-lying areas in Kelantan and Terengganu were forced out of their homes last Friday and given shelter in evacuation centres after four days of heavy rainfall.
The situation in Terengganu improved yesterday as many flood evacuees were allowed to return home, Bernama news agency reported.
A state security council spokesman said that, as of yesterday, only 1,022 people remained at six evacuation centres in Besut, Dungun, and Kuala Terengganu.
There were some who had been allowed to return home but chose to remain at the centres for fear of a second wave of flooding.
The number of evacuees in Kota Baru stood at more than 2,031, said Kelantan state flood operations control centre chief Shahnaz Nurul Amin.
Ms Shahnaz said the water level at Sungai Golok and Sungai Kelantan was still above the danger level.
A total of 579 people in Padang Terap in Alor Star were evacuated yesterday.
Kedah flood operations room spokesman Salim Mahmud said he expected more people to be evacuated, as the water level in Sungai Padang Terap was rising and had breached the danger level.
Meanwhile, at least six people have died and several districts in Thailand's provinces of Phatthalung, Yala and Narathiwat were declared disaster zones.
Fierce storms continued to lash southern Thailand, causing severe floods and landslides.
The Bangkok Post also reported flash floods in the Hat Yai, Na Thawi and Rattaphum districts of Songkhla province.
In the Bang Saphan Noi district of Prachuap Khiri Khan, powerful waves wrecked one part of a seawall, as well as part of the road next to it.
The Office of the Meteorological Department predicted more heavy rains unleashed by the strong monsoon over the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman.
Floods have also inundated parts of Australia's east coast, forcing the authorities to declare a natural disaster along parts of the country's east coast yesterday. Heavy floods cut off the main road linking major cities, leaving thousands of people stranded.
Agence France-Presse reported that torrential rain soaked the Coffs Harbour region north of Sydney, swamping the arterial Pacific Highway with floodwaters that isolated almost 5,000 people.
About 40 people had to be evacuated from the area hit by raging floods, and New South Wales Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan declared a natural disaster, releasing state funds for relief operations.
More than 500mm of rain had fallen in the past two days, Mr Whan said, in the fifth major flooding incident to hit the region this year.
'I guess one of the things we've seen predicted from climate change consistently is that the rain and the weather events will come in the form of more storms and more short-term deluges,' he said.
