By Suhaila Shahrul Annuar
SHAH ALAM, April 11 — Residents affected by the floods are advised to evacuate to temporary relief centres (PPS) if instructed so as to prevent any untoward incidents.
State executive councillor for disaster management Mohd Najwan Halimi said that if heavy rain occurs again tonight, it could increase the risk of flooding in several districts, particularly Petaling and Klang.
“So we urge flood-affected residents to comply with instructions from the authorities. If you are told to evacuate, please go to the PPS because we want to avoid any unfortunate incidents or loss of life.
“We anticipate that if it rains heavily tonight, follow-up measures will need to be taken, especially to assist in relocating affected victims. There may be some who are not affected today, but we are concerned that many more may be impacted if it rains again,” he said.
Najwan added that the flooding in several areas since early this morning may have been caused by heavy rainfall coinciding with a high tide phenomenon.
“We were indeed alert to the rise in sea levels due to it being mid-month. But when the high tide phenomenon combines with heavy rain, that is when the flood risk increases,” he said.
Six PPS have been opened so far to accommodate hundreds of flood victims around the Klang and Petaling districts.
“At the state government level, we will assist in terms of coordinating evacuation and ensuring residents’ safety,” Najwan said.
For the Klang district, the PPS involved are SK Sungai Binjai, Dewan Azalea Taman Seri Muda in Shah Alam, and Dewan Bunga Bakawali Alam Impian.
For the Petaling district, the PPS involved are the Shah Alam City Council's Dewan Kenanga Section 28, SK Section 16 Shah Alam, and Dewan Camelia in Putra Heights.
News reports have stated that several districts in Selangor were hit by flash floods following continuous heavy rain since early this morning around Puchong, Shah Alam, Klang, and Hulu Langat.
On its website, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage reported that as of 3pm, water levels at the Pekan Meru and Taman Desa Kemuning stations in Klang had exceeded the danger threshold.
The water level reading at the Pekan Meru station recorded 4.46m compared to the normal 2.8m, while the Taman Desa Kemuning station recorded a level of 3.69m compared to the normal 1.5m at the same time.
In addition, the Bukit Changgang station in Kuala Langat recorded a level of 4.8m, compared to the normal 1.9m, as of 3pm today.
