Saturday, March 4, 2023

Torrential rains have caused flooding in five Malaysian states, with the southern state of Johor the worst hit. Streets and houses submerged! #flooding #malaysia #johor




Torrential rains have caused flooding in five Malaysian states, with the southern state of Johor the worst hit. Around 630 mm of rain fell in under 48 hours in some locations of Johor. The district of Segamat was the hardest hit, followed by Kluang, Batu Pahat and Kota Tinggi districts. 

Local authorities said this was one of the worst floods to have inundated the state in the past few years, attributing it to continuous heavy rain and the high-tide phenomenon. The small town of Chaah, in Segamat, was entirely submerged in water. Residents say this was the worst flood in 20 years, and many people were trapped in their homes amid rising waters for up to 12 hours before being rescued. 

Videos on social media showed flooded roads collapsing after a heavy downpour, vehicles and homes submerged in muddy water and shops shuttered. 

In addition, 15 rivers in Johor, three in Pahang, two in Negeri Sembilan, and one each in Selangor, Malacca, and Sarawak have exceeded dangerous water levels. Water levels of Sungai Kahang in Kluang, exceeded the danger level by 2.46m whereas Sungai Pukin in Rompin exceeded the danger level by 2.41m. 

Over 31,000 people have been moved to 232 temporary relief centers nationwide as the weather agency predicted continuous heavy downpours until Saturday. 

Just three months ago, several states were hit by heavy floods and more than 70,000 flood evacuees were recorded. Floods are an annual phenomenon in Malaysia due to the northeast monsoon that brings heavy rain from November to March.

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