Malaysia floods: 220,000 at shelters

New Straits Times 31 Dec 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: THE number of evacuees nationwide yesterday hit 220,393 from 210,116 on Monday, with Kelantan and Pahang topping the list, followed by Terengganu and Perak.

Kelantan also had the most fatalities, with 14 deaths, while four were missing. In Terengganu, four were dead and five were missing, while Pahang had three dead and one missing.

The number of evacuees in Kelantan, the worst-hit state, stood at 144,015 people in 324 relief centres as of 9pm yesterday, a slight drop from 147,072 people on Monday. The decrease was due to the receding flood waters in several districts.

Kota Baru had the most evacuees with 29,531, followed by Tumpat (24,919), Pasir Mas (23,568), Kuala Krai (23,500), Tanah Merah (19,440), Gua Musang (13,327), Machang (9,538) and Pasir Putih (192).

In Pahang, despite the fine weather yesterday, the number of evacuees doubled from Monday’s 24,912, with 51,484 people from 12,588 families. Temerloh remained the worst-hit district with 21,284 evacuees, followed by Pekan (10,441), Jerantut (5,674), Maran (4,098), Kuantan (3,852), Lipis (3,090), Bera (2,879) and Rompin (166).

In Terengganu, the number of evacuees dropped to 17,169 at 53 relief centres, as nearly half of the 31,258 people recorded on Monday were allowed to return home after the situation improved. Several relief centres in the state have also been closed. Kemaman recorded the highest number evacuees with 9,023, followed by Dungun (7,923), Kuala Terengganu (208) and Hulu Terengganu (15).

In Perak, the number of people evacuated in Central Perak, Kuala Kangsar, Hulu Perak and Kerian stood at 7,577 yesterday. The state recorded 7,423 evacuees at 54 relief centres on Monday.

Central Perak remained the worst hit, with 4,717 people evacuated, followed by Kuala Kangsar (1,748), Hulu Perak (694) and Kerian (318).

Johor saw improved weather yesterday, with receding floodwaters and light rain reported in most districts. As of 4.30pm, 148 evacuees from 41 families were at four relief centres, a drop from 171 people on Monday.

Batu Pahat had the highest number of evacuees with 104 people from 31 families, followed by Segamat (44), while two relief centres in Kluang were closed.

Number of evacuees in Pahang and Perak rises
The Star 31 Dec 14;

KUALA LUMPUR: More people are being evacuated due to the worsening floods in Pahang and Perak while the number of evacuees in Tereng­ganu continues to drop.

In Pahang, the number of flood victims at the 263 relief centres in eight districts continued to rise to 51,343 yesterday evening from 49,978 recorded in the afternoon.

A spokesman at the Pahang police contingent flood operations room said Temerloh still recorded the highest number of evacuees, with 21,284 at 62 relief centres.

The seven other flood-affected areas in Pahang are Pekan with 9,960 evacuees at 40 centres, Jerantut (6,025 evacuees at 59 centres), Maran (4,238 evacuees at 32 centres), Kuantan (3,797 evacuees at 17 centres), Lipis (3,090 evacuees at 28 centres), Bera (2,854 evacuees at 19 centres) and Rompin (186 evacuees at six centres).

In Perak, the number of people evacuated in central Perak, Kuala Kangsar, Hulu Perak and Kerian stood at 7,762 yesterday evening, compared with 7,664 recorded earlier in the day.

According to a Perak National Security Council spokesman, the number of flood victims recorded in central Perak was 4,628, Kuala Kangsar (2,017), Hulu Perak (799) and Kerian (318).

In Kelantan, no latest information on the number of flood evacuees was made available as at 5pm yesterday after the 158,476 victims recorded in the afternoon.

In Terengganu, the number of people taking shelter at relief centres dropped to 20,122 yesterday evening from 25,775.

According to the Terengganu National Security Council portal, Kemaman still had 10,318 evacuees, followed by Dungun (8,815), Hulu Terengganu (39) and Kuala Terengganu (213).

Several relief centres in the state have also been closed, leaving only 28 each in Dungun and Kemaman, three in Hulu Terengganu and two in Kuala Terengganu.

In Johor, 148 people from 41 families were still taking shelter at relief centres yesterday. — Bernama

Floods: Johor continues to improve, lower water levels reported
BEN TAN New Straits Times 30 Dec 14;

JOHOR BARU: The flood situation continues to improve in Johor as of 12pm today, following lower water levels reported in most districts since this morning.

A total of 154 flood victims from 43 families still remained in the temporary flood centres in the state.

This was an improvement over yesterday where 175 victims from 50 families were registered by the National Security Council (NSC).

Johor NSC spokesperson said Batu Pahat district registered the highest number of flood victims which was 100 people from 30 families.

“This is followed by Segamat which has only 44 victims from 10 families seeking shelter at the centres,” she said today.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson said Kluang has been reported as the district with the lowest number of flood victims with only 10 remaining from three families.

“At present, there are only seven temporary flood shelters that are open in the state which are in Segamat (three), Batu Pahat (two) and also Kluang (two). The one in Muar has been closed as of today,” she said.

Freak storm wreaks havoc in Penang
ROYCE TAN AND The Star 31 Dec 14;

BALIK PULAU: Zinc roofs were blown away, trees uprooted and electric cables ripped off during a freak eight-hour storm that struck various places here.

The strong winds, which blew at an estimated 50kph starting from 8pm on Monday, damaged about 500 houses and shops, affecting some 1,500 people.

Among the worst affected areas were Kampung Sungai Rusa and Kampung Permatang Pasir. Other areas included Sungai Pinang, Jalan Baru, Kuala Jalan Baru, Pantai Acheh and Kuala Sungai Pinang.

More than 200 people had been temporarily evacuated to three relief centres – the Permatang Pasir mosque, Sungai Rusa Primary School and Teluk Bahang assemblyman Datuk Shah Headan Hussain Ayob Shah’s service centre in Sungai Rusa – following the storm.

The only injury reported was that of a motorist whose car was hit by a fallen tree along Jalan Tun Sardon on Monday night.

The man, in his 30s, was sent to the Balik Pulau hospital where he was reported to be in a stable condition.

Retiree Zainal Ariffin, from Kampung Permatang Pasir, said he was thankful that he told his family to take shelter in their relative’s house nearby after noticing the unusually high winds upon his return from the mosque.

“About 30 minutes later, the zinc roof of my patio came crashing down, hitting the cradle where my grandchild would usually take his nap in.

“I have lived here my entire life, but I have never encountered anything like this before. We are lucky to have left the house earlier,” Zainal said yesterday.

It was probably the most unforgettable birthday for Masriyah Harun who turned 64 on Monday as the wind blew the roof of her house in Kampung Sungai Rusa.

Masriyah said she was watching television when she heard a loud crash outside her house at about 10pm only to discover later that it was her roof which landed nearby.

“This is the first time I have encountered such strong winds since I moved here in 1986.”

Lorry driver Abdul Jalil Ishak, 54, carried his stroke-stricken wife Maliah Othman, 53, and ran out of their house when part of its zinc roof was blown off.

The strong gusts also destroyed the dome of the Sungai Rusa mosque, blowing off its steel panels.

The storm also dealt a big blow to agro-tourism and eco-tourism farm operator Sam Lim after it damaged a row of huts on his 1ha property in Sungai Rusa.

A similar freak wind, known as angin langkisau, has hit Penang in the past. This included the 60kmph one in June last year which toppled the lightning arrester of the Menara Umno building in Macalister Road.