KOTA BHARU/KUALA TERENGGANU - The flood situation in Kelantan and Terengganu, two states along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, worsened on Sunday, amid warnings from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) about continuous rain in eight states until Tuesday, reported Bernama.
In Kelantan, more than 50 residents in Kampung Chawas, Tanah Merah had to brace themselves for flooding on Sunday morning. The last time the village was hit by a flood was in 2014.
Ms Norita Mohd Noor, 48, said her house was flooded after a heavy downpour overnight. “Seeing the water level rising rapidly, I immediately jolted my son awake to quickly move his car to higher ground because, at that time, it was already more than knee-deep,” she told Bernama.
Another resident, Mr Shukri Ismail, 55, did not manage to save his Proton Wira, as the water level rose too quickly in the morning.
Twelve routes in four districts in Kelantan, including two in Tanah Merah, have been closed as at 2pm on Sunday, due to flooding.
In Terengganu, disaster committee deputy chairman Hanafiah Mat said six districts were hit by flooding.
“This second wave of flooding is expected to be worse than the first wave earlier this month,” he told Bernama.
He advised residents to be alert and follow the instructions issued by the authorities, especially when they are told to evacuate from their homes.
Meanwhile, a mudslide took place along the East Coast Highway 2 (LPT 2) at around 11am on Sunday, and a short video of the mudflow crashing down the slope and spilling onto the road went viral on social media.
The incident was reported at Kilometre 393, from the direction of Ajil to Kuantan, on LPT 2. It did not lead to any accidents on the highway.
“The overflow water receded at around 12.30pm. There is no road closure and all types of vehicles can still pass in both directions,” said Hulu Terengganu district police chief Hasmeera Hassan in a statement.
On Saturday, MetMalaysia predicted that continuous heavy rain will hit eight states – Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Johor – until Tuesday.
Terengganu will likely see the heaviest downpour, followed by Kelantan and some areas in Pahang. In Johor, the affected areas are likely to be Segamat, Kluang, Mersing, Kulai, Kota Tinggi and Johor Bahru.
