Octogenarian almost washed away by strong waves battering east coast
CA ZULKEFLIandSHARANPAL SINGH RANDHAWA The Star 8 Feb 16;
KOTA BARU: An octogenarian almost died after huge waves battered his home at Kampung Kundor here on Sunday.
Yusof Taib, 80, said he was almost washed away when the waves hit the walls of his 40-year-old home at 6pm.
"The waves were very huge and were strong enough to bring down the wooden walls and windows and there was not enough time to do anything but to hold on the pillars in the house.
"I was sitting in the living room when the waves hit as the house is only situated 2m from the beach.
"It was so powerful that I was flung to the living room with water and sand submerging the house. I was lucky as I held on the pillar, " said Yusof at SK Pantai Kundur flood relief center on Monday.
The father of 11 children added that this was the second time the high tide hit his home, with the first occurring on Jan 26.
He said he had just moved back into the house three days ago after that incident.
This time around he and his family are expected to stay at the relief center longer as his house was totally damaged.
He is taking shelter at the center with 17 other families
The phenomenon has wreaked havoc along the east coast in the past few days
Huge waves on Sunday night along the coastal stretch in Mengabang Telipot and in Kemaman, both in Terengganu severely battered village houses along the coastline.
The heavy battering by the monstrous waves measuring some 4.5m resulted in two village houses being partly destroyed, several others slightly damaged with 67 people from both districts being evacuated.
As of 4pm on Monday, four families comprising of 29 people from Kampung Tengah, in Mengabang Telipot, were temporarily taking shelter with their relatives meanwhile 38 other villagers from Kemasik and Kampung Geliga in Kemaman were evacuated to three evacuation centres.
According to the Meteorological Department, coastal villagers can expect strong waves as high as 4.5m and winds up to 60kph until tonight.
Dept warns of choppy seas until Tuesday
The Star 8 Feb 16;
KUALA LUMPUR: Strong winds and choppy seas along waters off the coast of the east coast states as well as Sarawak and Sabah will continue until tomorrow.
According to a Meteorology Department statement here, the affected areas were the waters off Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, east Johor, Sarawak, Labuan and Kudat, and the west coast and interiors of Sabah.
“This is due to strong north-east winds of about 60km an hour, with waves reaching 4.5m which are expected in these areas,” the statement said.
“The strong winds and choppy seas are dangerous to all beach activities and shipping, including workers on oil rigs,” the statement said.
During the same period, similar conditions are expected to continue in the waters of Condore, Reef North, Layang-Layang, Samui, Palawan, Tioman, Bunguran, Reef South and Kuching. — Bernama
13 families made homeless after gale-force wind, waves lash Terengganu coastal villages
ADRIAN DAVID New Straits Times 8 Feb 16;
CHUKAI: Almost 70 people from 13 families in Kemaman and Kuala Nerus were made homeless after strong winds and high waves lashed several coastal villages off the South China Sea.
A police spokesman said that those affected were from Jalan Pantai Teluk Lipat in Dungun, Kampung Geliga Baru in Kemaman and Kampung Tengah Mengabang Telipot in Kuala Nerus.
The spokesman said the adverse weather began around 6.30pm and caused sea waters to rise up to one metre at the affected villages.
One of the 38 victims from Kemaman, Mohd Naim Abdullah, 41, said he and fellow residents panicked as the strong waves continued lashing their homes following gale-force like winds from the South China Sea.
Naim said he quickly scrambled his wife, Noros Faizal Mohamad Gati, 30, and his three children, aged between three and 11, to safety.
Naim added he managed to cart away a television set and a refrigerator to higher ground. Police and local residents helped the affected lot to be sheltered at nearby community halls in Pekan Lama Kemasik, Dewan Geliga Baru and Surau Haji Ali.
Over at Kuala Nerus, 29 affected people from four families spent their time with relatives on higher ground.
A victim, Yahya Muda, 65, said the residents did not think twice to wait for the situation to calm and decided to put safety first by seeking shelter with their relatives.
A 200m section of Jalan Pantai Teluk Lipat was eroded by the strong waves.
Resident Agus Hamzah called on the authorities to build a bund across their coastal villages to prevent further erosion.
The Drainage and Irrigation Department is looking into the matter while the Meteorological Department has forecast adverse weather until tomorrow (Tuesday).
Pulau Perhentian students stranded, can't go home due to rough seas
New Straits Times 8 Feb 16;
BESUT: Around 30 students from Pulau Perhentian are stranded on the Terengganu mainland after huge waves and rough seas prevented them from returning to their homes for Chinese New Year.
The students, from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kuala Besut, are now being cared for the by the school's parent-teacher association at the school hostel.
Kuala Besut state assemblyman Che Ku Zaihan Che Ku Abdul Rahman said the students were prevented from leaving the school for Chinese New Year holidays at their homes following rough sea conditions.
Che Ku Zaihan said he also instructed his assistant at the Kuala Besut office to assist the students during the time.
"Earlier, eight students from the same school failed to return to the island following huge waves on Thursday," he said when contacted.
"We are concerned about their safety while boating to the island," he said, adding that the sea conditions could make it dangerous for sea travel.
Last night, several homes had to be evacuated due to large waves slamming the state's coastline.
