Straits Times 10 Nov 09;
KUALA LUMPUR: Heavy rains triggered flash floods that killed two people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes in northern Malaysia.
The downpours mark the start of an annual monsoon season between November and February that often leads to widespread flooding in low-lying towns and villages in Peninsular Malaysia's northern states.
A nine-year-old girl drowned on Sunday after falling into a rain-swollen river in Terengganu while playing with her friends, said Mr Mohammad Abdul Aziz, a flood relief effort coordinator.
Separately, the authorities recovered the body of a man who was swept away while swimming in a river, said police officer Ismail Saat in Kelantan.
Officials in three separate states said about 5,000 people have taken shelter at schools and community centres since the downpours began late last week.
More people have been evacuated to flood relief centres in Kelantan as the water level in Sungai Golok still remained above the danger mark.
In Terengganu, more than 3,000 people who took shelter at the state's 53 evacuation centres returned home as the waters subsided.
No major roads were reported closed except for one leading to the popular Pantai Cahaya Bulan.
In Kedah, floods in Kubang Pasu and Padang Terap districts have forced 1,101 people to move to 19 evacuation centres.
A state Flood Operations Centre officer said that as of Sunday, 799 people were staying at 17 centres in Padang Terap, while 302 were at two centres in Kubang Pasu.
'The Sungai Bata water level in Kubang Pasu recorded a height of 1.38m, below the danger level of 3.5m,' he said on Sunday.
However, the Sungai Kuala Nerang water level in Padang Terap district was at 17.8m, above the 17.1m danger level.
The operations centre is closely monitoring the situation in the Kota Setar district, after the Sungai Pantai Johor water level reached 2.08m on Sunday, above the 2m danger level.
ASSOCIATED PRESS, THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
'Worst flash floods in 20 years'
New Straits Times 9 Nov 09;
KUALA LUMPUR: The flash flood that hit three villages along Sungai Kertas in Gombak on Saturday was the worst in 20 years, residents said.
Technician K. Dhinakaran, 46, of Kampung Laksamana, said he was forced to wade through almost a metre of water following the 4.30pm downpour.
"Previous floods were only ankle-deep," he said.
More than 100 residents in his village and two other villages -- Kampung Nakhoda and Kampung Sungai Kertas -- were affected.
Dhinakaran said his father, 76, and mother, 73, were at home with two of his teenaged nephews when he got home from work.
He said as the water level kept rising, he took them all to a relative's place on higher ground. He said the water was already chest-high when he returned shortly later.
One of his cars was partially submerged in the flood while three motorcycles parked at his house were damaged after the machines were washed several metres away.
"Thousands of ringgit worth of my belongings were damaged but I'm glad my parents and nephews are safe."
The family was busy cleaning up the mess left by the flood when met yesterday.
Another resident, Che Mahmad Ismail, 59, claimed that the flood was caused by rubbish and a log clogging the river, disrupting its flow.
The affected residents were evacuated to several community halls in the area but most of them returned home after the flood receded about 7pm.
Flood situation worsens; Veggie and fish prices soar
The Star 10 Nov 09;
THE situation in flood-hit Kelantan and the northern states is worsening — more people have been evacuated from their homes.
>In Kedah, a total of 1,924 people were still being sheltered at 18 eva-cuation centres as of 5pm yesterday.
>In neighbouring Perlis, floodwaters continued to rise in several low-lying areas in and around Kangar, forcing 247 people to be evacuated to three relief centres overnight. Several padi fields were also flooded.
>A total of 3,910 people are still being housed in evacuation centres in Kelantan compared to the 2,558 the day before. Also, 18 schools in the state were closed.
