KUALA LUMPUR: Floods across six states continue to worsen, with rising water levels forcing 8,143 people from 2,901 families to evacuate since Saturday.
According to the Welfare Department’s Info Bencana website, as of 6pm today, the evacuees are housed in 42 temporary relief centres (PPS) nationwide.
Kelantan remains the worst-hit state, with 7,399 people in 31 centres.
Admissions continue to rise in Tumpat, Kota Baru, and Bachok, with Tumpat alone recording 4,098 evacuees.
Terengganu reported 310 evacuees, mostly from Besut, while Kulim in Kedah saw 236 people relocated to safety.
In Penang, flooding in Seberang Prai Utara prompted the opening of a PPS to accommodate 99 victims, and 55 people were relocated in Perlis.
Meanwhile, in Sarawak, flooding in Miri affected 44 people from six families at one PPS.
The National Disaster Command Centre (NDCC) noted a sharp surge in nationwide evacuees, from just 862 on Saturday to 8,143 today, marking the first major spike of this monsoon season.
Telemetry readings from the Drainage and Irrigation Department show rising river levels across multiple states, including Johor, Perlis and parts of Kelantan, although no locations have yet breached the “danger” threshold.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued continuous rain alerts for wide areas of the peninsula.
The heaviest warnings, for persistent heavy rainfall, are in Tumpat, Pasir Mas, Kota Baru, Bachok, and Pasir Puteh, remaining in force until Tuesday.
Thunderstorms with strong winds and rough seas of up to 3.5 metres are forecast over several coastal waters, posing risks to small boats.
Several major roads have been disrupted by landslides, collapsed slopes, and road settlement.
Among the closures are Jalan Gua Musang-Jelawang (Kelantan), which is fully closed due to road collapse; and, Jalan Lojing-Gua Musang, which is also fully closed.
Multiple routes in southwest Penang and Larut Matang, Perak, are only partially open, with single-lane access following soil movement.
Meanwhile, major dams in Kedah, Johor, Melaka, and Perak — including Bekok, Congok, Timah Tasoh, Malut, Asahan, Sultan Azlan Shah and Bukit Merah — are at 90-100 per cent capacity and under heightened monitoring as rain continues.
Authorities warned that with heavy rainfall forecast until Nov 26 in Kelantan, Terengganu, and northern states, the number of evacuees could rise further.
The NDCC said real-time updates will continue as the situation develops nationwide.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
