KUANTAN: The sun has finally emerged over the state capital of Pahang for the first time in a week, offering a welcome reprieve to flood-hit areas as evacuees gradually return to their homes.
Residents in several low-lying areas, who had been sheltering in temporary relief centres since evacuations began on Dec 15, have started cleaning their flood-affected homes.
The Kuantan–Pekan dual-carriageway near Universiti Islam Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah (Unipsas), which had been submerged since Dec 17, was today reopened to all vehicles.
Pahang Civil Defence Force(APM) director Colonel Che Adam A. Rahman said the clear skies and receding floodwaters after more than five days have allowed evacuees to return and inspect their homes.
“The rain has stopped. Victims have returned to clean their flood-hit homes, and we expect the number of evacuees at temporary relief centres to gradually drop.
“Those returning to clean their homes are advised to thoroughly inspect their premises, as venomous creatures displaced by the floods may have entered the houses in search of safer ground,” he told reporters in a statement today.
Che Adam said that as post-flood clean-up operations begin, the Civil Defence Force, along with several other agencies, will deploy personnel to assist victims in affected areas.
He cautioned that although the state has seen promising weather today, the Northeast Monsoon has not yet ended, and the State Disaster Management Committee remains on alert for potential heavy downpours.
As of 5pm today, Pahang – the worst-hit state during the second wave of flooding – recorded a slight decrease in evacuees, from 13,466 at 9am to 12,094 people.
The victims, from 4,009 families, have been relocated to 79 temporary relief centres across eight districts namely Kuantan, Temerloh, Maran, Pekan, Bera, Jerantut, Rompin, and Lipis. The number of evacuees in Kuantan specifically has dropped to 10,489, compared to 11,115 earlier in the morning.
The Northeast Monsoon, which typically occurs from November to March, brings heavy rainfall to the east coast and parts of Sabah and Sarawak, often triggering floods.
Pahang has experienced several major floods in its history, with those in 1971, 2014, and 2022 considered among the worst. The disaster in late 2021 and early 2022 forced the evacuation of around 39,000 people.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
