KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — The number of flood evacuees at relief centres in Johor, Pahang, Melaka and Negri Sembilan showed a slight drop this evening compared to earlier this afternoon.
There was also not much change in the number of flood evacuees in Selangor, Terengganu and Sabah as of this evening.
In Johor, the number of evacuees dropped to 5,588 people as of 4pm compared to 5,598 people at noon.
Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan said in a statement today that three centres had been closed, namely one each in Segamat, Kota Tinggi and Batu Pahat.
“The centre in Sekolah Agama Gemereh, Segamat, which housed 78 evacuees, closed at noon while the ones at Sekolah Kebangsaan Semanggar Kota Tinggi (23 evacuees) closed at 1pm and Sri Sepakat, Batu Pahat (seven evacuees) closed at 2pm,” he said.
According to Vidya, there are currently 81 centres opened in seven districts in Johor housing 1,505 families.
Segamat continued to record the highest number of evacuees, with 4,105 people, followed by Mersing (546 evacuees), Tangkak (472), Kota Tinggi (131), Kluang (116), Muar (116) and Batu Pahat (102), he said.
So far, the weather in Muar, Batu Pahat, Segamat, Mersing and Tangkak is sunny but cloudy in Kluang and Kota Tinggi.
In Pahang, the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that the total number of flood evacuees dropped to 2,265 people in 35 centres this evening compared to 2,816 people at noon.
The second wave of deluge in Lipis, which began on the first day of the new year, receded today and the last of the 146 evacuees in six centres in the district were allowed to return to their homes this evening, thus the districts still affected are Raub, Jerantut, Maran, Bera, Kuantan, Rompin, Temerloh and Pekan.
A total of 21 roads were also closed, among them are Jalan Bohor Baru and Jalan Kemayan-Tembangau in Bera; Jalan Serengkam (Maran); Jalan Kota Gelanggi, Simpang Batu Embun-Simpang Kuala Lipis and Jalan Pulau Tawar-Durian Hijau (Jerantut); Jalan Air Hitam (Kuantan); Jalan Bentong-Gua Musang (Bentong); and Jambatan Benta and Jalan Kuala Lipis-Jerantut (Lipis).
The publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my website reported that the water levels of Sungai Pahang in Kuala Sungai Chini in Pekan and Sungai Serting in Padang Gudang, Bera had exceeded their danger levels.
According to the Meteorological Department, rain is forecast tonight in Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin.
In Melaka, the number of evacuees dropped slightly to 2,155 people from 565 families as of 4pm today.
State Civil Defence Force (APM) director Lt Colonel Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said all the evacuees were from 14 areas in Alor Gajah, nine areas in Melaka Tengah and 11 areas in Jasin.
“A total of 673 evacuees from 174 families are at nine centres in Alor Gajah; 1,192 evacuees from 314 families at nine centres in Melaka Tengah and 290 evacuees from 77 families at four centres in Jasin,” he said in a statement today.
In Negri Sembilan, the latest data via the Social Welfare Department (JKM) Disaster Info application showed a slight drop in the number of evacuees to 1,666 people from 462 families, with 16 centres opened as of this evening compared to 1,706 people (478 families) in 18 centres at noon.
Meanwhile, in Selangor, the JKM Disaster Info app stated that the number of evacuees remained at 40 people, with 25 being housed at Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Kelanang and 15 at Balai Raya Majlis Pengurusan Komuniti Kampung (MPKK) Banting in the Kuala Langat district.
The publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my website reported that the water level at Sungai Bernam in Rimba KDR, Sabak Bernam remained at a danger level since noon today, reaching a height of 3.1 metres as of 2pm and showing a downward trend.
There was no change in the number of flood evacuees in Terengganu when the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that 19 people from five families still remained at two centres in Kemaman this evening.
The centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Lembah Jabor has nine people from three families while the one at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Geliga houses 10 people from two families.
In Sabah, the number of evacuees rose slightly to 3,377 people from 1,330 families this evening compared to 3,318 people from 1,319 families at noon.
Sabah State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said in a statement that all the evacuees were placed at 31 centres in the six flood-hit districts in the northern part and east coast of the state.
Kota Marudu district had the highest number of evacuees, with 2,659 people from 1,115 families in 14 centres; followed by Pitas (307 people, 127 families in four centres); Telupid (228 people, 48 families in eight centres); Sandakan (46 people, seven families in one centre); Beluran (38 people, 10 families in one centre); and Paitan (99 people, 23 families in three centres).
Meanwhile, observation of Kota Marudu rivers, which are among the causes of floods in the district, found that Sungai Tandek and Sungai Bandar were below the alert level while Sungai Bongon was at the alert level.
The weather in Sabah this evening is reported to be cloudy and drizzling in the northern part and east coast while the west coast is sunny. — Bernama
