Floods submerge parts of Penang
Floods hit parts of Penang late this evening after continuous rain over the last 18 hours. Twenty house in the Pulau Betong area were submerged.
A newspaper editor told me he was wading in waist-deep to chest-high waters in the Jalan P Ramlee area. Some parts are submerged in five feet of water. “It’s the worst flood here since 1995,” he said.
Francis Light School has been turned into a relief centre. About 250 families in the P Ramlee/Perak Road area are being provided with food and rations. It is now drizzling and the floods appear to be receding.
Meanwhile, about 2,000 affected residents in Balik Pulau are refusing to evacuate, but no action has been taken as flood waters are receding.
The Teluk Kumbar to Balik Pulau road is blocked; and it will take several hours for it to be reopened.
Crotalus reports from Sungai Ara:
Went to Sg. Ara area in Penang. The main road was totally flooded. I don’t think my car is gonna start tomorrow. Was stuck in the flood…covering the height of my car tyre.
Over on the mainland, BM area as usual was totally in chaos…flood everywhere.
Lucky8 too reports on his not-so-lucky experience in Sungai Ara:
My place in Sungai Ara was having some flash flood … 6″- 1 foot high… need to relocate our cars to other place for parking and move things at home to a higher place as well. It lasted for about 1/2 hour plus, I guess. This morning, I could see many people cleaning their houses especially the car porch and in front of each house with a lot of mud on the road…
Lucia reports from the Green Lane/Macalister Road area:
I wanted to attend the 916 forum too but due to the rain and flood, i didn’t! First time our church (in Macalister road) was flooded! (Not inside, just outside, I mean). It’s terrible!
… It’s terrible that each time there is heavy downpour, flood! What was KTK doing?
Lilian reports from Taman Lumba Kuda:
My place in Taman Lumba Kuda, opposite the State Mosque, next to St. Xavier’s Primary school Air Itam is flooded as well. Wanted to go to Han Chiang for the forum, got there, but the water was rising fast in the car park. After considering the risk, I left. One of my cars was already in the workshop due to a freak flood about two weeks ago. Already alerted the staff of the Adun in my area (the CM’s constituency of Air Putih-lah) and hope they find out what’s the cause.
Over on the mainland, the situation in some areas of Seberang Perai Utara and Seberang Perai Tengah is bad, and 46 people have been evacuated.
The state’s emergency operations room in Komtar has been activated. The Civil Defence team has been mobilised while the state-level disaster relief team is on standby.
Really, something has to be done to look into the drainage at these flood-prone areas.
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- Penang’s highway to nowhere
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- RM1b more needed for flood mitigation in Penang?
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My place in Taman Lumba Kuda, opposite the State Mosque, next to St. Xavier Primary school Air Itam is flooded as well. Wanted to go to Han Chiang for the forum, got there, but the water was rising fast in the car park. After considering the risk, I left. One of my car was already in the workshop due to a freak flood about two weeks ago. Already alerted the staff of the ADun in my area (the CM’s constituency of Air Putih lah) and hope they find out what’s the cause.
When there’s no proper drainage
It’s often caused by blockage
If there’s no proper stoppage
There’ll be no end to damage
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 070908
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Sun. 7th Sept. 2008.
This is nothing new. Every time there is a heavy downpour, many parts of Penang island floods. KTK had failed to solve such a basic problem plaguing Penangites despite enjoying the trappings of office for eighteen years.
Penangites have only themselves to blame for keeping such an incompetent CM in office all those years.
i wanted to attend the 916 forum too but due to the rain and flood, i didn’t! first time our church (in macalister road) was flooded! (not inside just outside i mean). it’s terrible!
i agree with plain truth. it’s terrible that each time there is heavy downpour, flood! what had KSK been doing???
Went to Sg. Ara area in Penang. The main road was totally flooded. I don’t think my car is gonna start tmr. Was stuck in the flood…covering the height of my car tyre.
Over at mainland, BM area as usual was totally in chaos…flood everywhere.
Too much dinners and wine session by KTK past 18 years? PGCC pun tak ada, land scams abundance…see what now? I hold BN accountable.
In Singapore I hear you don’t get fined for littering because fines are regressive and ineffective. You get to be a street sweeper for a day. Doesn’t matter whether you are a datuk or not.
Speeding fines, on the other hand, are income based. A speeding ticket for a CEO is in the tens of thousands, I’m told.
Don’t get your feet wet. Try these new and improved measures. Flooding will be a thing of the past.
Flooding nothing new in Penang
Years of neglect to handle it
Greed and closing one eye
In the end the harvest destroy
Every time when it rains heavily
Floods will come singing its jokes
Debris all kinds getting washed up
“Hey guys I am back!”
Years ago BN government forgot
Proper flood mitigation systems
Closing rivers and streams for developments
The natural cleansing system gone
Now nature wreck havocs
Every time it rains cats and dogs
Years of neglect finally seeking justice
The environment begs for release
The way Penang is going
The floods will be the daily scene when it pours
Building more houses forgetting nature
Traffic jams and tempers flare
Will the state government learn?
It is hard to tell; only when there is less flooding
Perhaps the people know something gets going
Now it is the talking every time besides politics
The present government should go the root cause of the problem and not on some knee-jerk reaction. No use attacking the previous State govenment for it is not going to solve the miseries of those who are affected by the floods. No use waiting for the Federal government to dish out funds. LGE and his team should go for solving the problem so that the next time it rains it cause so much problems. I pity those who are fasting and those who are preparing for their exams. Enough of politics! Enough of speculating on 9/16. Let them do the work we elected them for
Anwarwood Productions - The Biggest Blockbuster Show on Earth!
(Anwarwood Produksi - Tayangan Paling Besar dan Hebat di Dunia!)
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My place in Sungai Ara was having some flash flood for abouth 6″~1 foot high… need to relocate our cars to other place for parking and moving things in home to higher place as well. It’s last for about 1/2 hours plus i guess. This morning seeing many ppl cleaning their house especially the car porch and in front of each house with many mud on the road..
Whatever you do, make sure they don’t come up with a $3 or $4 billion ‘Smart Tunnel’ in Penang.
Only recently did they admit in KL that the ST would only possibly solve 1/4 of the problem in KL and now, whenever it rains heavily, there is a massive traffic jam as the tunnel is shut. Why is the tunnel not re-opened the next day? And here is the beautiful Oscar-winning answer - all the retention ponds have not been completed and even if they were, the capacity would not be sufficient to hold all the water!! Thats mean classic planning in Bolehland.
In other words, this is a half-assed solution with an in-built mechanism to sucker the Govt into building more STs to charge more Toll and cause more traffic jams in and all around KL and beyond. Corporate Social Responsibility? - it does not exist as far as these greedy, rapacious vultures are concerned.
Also, refer to the Auditor General’s report that CF was issued even though till today all the conditions precedent have not been met.
Come the revolution, we know who will also be in the 1st batch to be guillotined!!
http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com
Most of these places have been prone to flooding for years. What on earth were they waiting for before taking action? Lives to be lost? Previously, I always thought that BN needed the people to suffer so that they can peddle development politics ala 1960s. It was incumbent the people did not outgrow this mindset for them to remain in power. There was an advantage to be had if they could make more and more promises in every GE to keep them in power if the people do not know better. Unfortunately, the times have left these so called leaders behind and they can’t figure it out.
Hopefully, now that UMNO/BN have been kicked out, I hope it is for good. The people should not be beggars in their own homes. Kelantan could do it and I believe Penangites can do it as well.
GLOBAL WARMING HAS RESULTED IN:-
1. This time Higher seatide level over the years with melting glaciers at north pole.
2. Eratic wheather, these mega million gallons of water not diverted to contain in pools/reservoirs.
3. Basic human problems : clogged drains.
Realize this fact, Penang is an Island.
Real heavy rain above 2-3hours when coincide with hightide that is above average level, is a good recipe for a flood.
How to overcome :
Improved drainage system channeled in areas to one outlet into the sea and erecting a Floodgate.
Development at the hills must controlled so that rainwater has the chance to seep into the earth.
Clear clogged drains.
Development near the sea/reclaimation area must be studied its earth elevation to buffer for the next 20-50years with global warming.
Glaciers at north pole will continuosly melt each year and sea water is rising.
A comprehensive study must be made in Penang.
WAKE UP!
Many residences in Bayan Baru are now living in fear, each time when it rained for more than two hours especially those living in the Jalan Mahsuri area.
My house in the area which used to be safe as it is a bit high than others but now it is under threat. Yesterday my porch and back was flooded. It is a matter of time I will have a free indoor wading pool provided by the the ex-BN government due to their failure to take early actions.
I have brought this matter to the attention of the formal BN state and parliament reps but they don’t seems to act with urgency even my house was not affected at that time. I know that we have to think ahead as things don’t get done immediately and early warning is always recommended for people to digest into their brain like the wakil rakyats.
When the the south eastern coast started reclamation works in 1987, the water discharge from Bayan Baru area and its hinterland like Sungai Ara, Relau etc were extended further out by some 1.5km to 2km. It is all fine if the water discharged channels were deep to allow proper outflow to the sea. As far as I know, part of the deepening of these discharged channels were packaged with the reclamation works to deepen it. It was carried out according the the contract. But these channels were recommended to be maintain regularly of not more than fives years by deepening it due to siltation.
From 1988 to date, there is no sign of any maintenance to these channels, so are we looking for trouble? There are already warning signs given to us now that urgent works need to be done immediately but when?
The people of Pantai Jerejak and Bayan Baru is looking forward to the state government to take action immediately where the BN have failed to carry out.
If nothing is to done immediately, we are just waiting for a major disaster to strike which is going to cause a lot anger, hardship, loss of properties and even life. A prevention is better than cure at this instance.
Coming to a general point on flood in Penang, many areas have been experiencing flood especially the notorious Jalan P Ramlee and Sungai Pinang area, we are so proud to achieve 51 years of Mederka but this problem existed even before Mederka and yet the BN government talks about development of mega projects in Penang under their care for so many years. The flood problem has been there for donkey years but nothing have been done to resolve the problem, no wonder the BN was sacked in Penang. What happen to the cleaning up of Sungai Pinang and how much fund have been spend? What has it achieved and where is the report on the project? Was it a success or failure?
I heard rumour that flood is an annual bonus to certain group people to make money for supplying flood relief stuffs to the government above normal market price without having to follow the MOF tender procedure due to the emergency requirement nature which runs into millions. So far no one has asked for the check the accounts not even the accountant general office vet it. Anyone got some leads to this?
Is the annual flood part of the programme to make the BN government looks good to the affected rakyats for been caring especially to rural folks? Take a further look at the annual flood problem in Kelantan, Trengganu, Pahang and Johor, when flood happens all BN VIPs will make a bee line to visit flood areas with all TV stations in the rumbongan to get cheap publicity. Don’t BN sadists know that prevention is better than cure?
Can’t the BN government take a serious look at the country’s annual flood problem or they need PKR government take care of the problem for them.
This is nothing new. Every time there is a heavy downpour, many parts of Penang island floods. KTK had failed to solve such a basic problem plaguing Penangites despite enjoying the trappings of office for eighteen years.
Penangites have only themselves to blame for keeping such an incompetent CM in office all those years.
Hi Anil,
you had mentioned about the flooding all over the place, but you failed to mentioned that even the apartment you live in was inundated with water overflowing from the USM Lake.
It was knee deep in water. All the problems can be traced back to the indiscrimate cutting of hill side slope along Bukit Gambir. Hope the state government can pull up all these developers who are raping the hillslopes along the whole of Jalan Bukit Jambul and Bukit Gambir
I used the Jalan Tun Sardon road back to Bayan Lepas as the road from Batu Feringgi to Tanjung Tokong was closed due to a fallen tree. It took our 5 STAR authorities 90 minutes to clear one tree. WOW. I decided to U-TURN and go up back. I should have stopped at a friends place but no i used the road through Teluk Bahang-Balik Pulau-Bayan Lepas. I went through 8 major landslides and 8 major flood areas. Yes i suffered, massive floods. Having a big BOMBA station up in Batu Feringgi-Teluk Bahang area is no use if the authorities do not know how to do its work. DAM IT!! In fact at certain strecthes we as drivers got down from our vehicles with umbrellas bracing through strong winds to clear some debris leaving small space for use to pass through as we dare not U-TURN or just stay there as we were fearing more Rocks and Trees and DEBRIS (AFTER RAPE PRODUCTS) to fall. Yet the newspapers reported that the authorities were busy clearing them up. BULLS*** or maybe not at the time when i was using that road. Now i personally know how the rakyat are suffering. Yes i had to pass urine in my water bottle thanks to our 5 STAR PUBLIC TOILET SYSTEM AND ITS LOCATIONS. Along those roads, a major highway is being built. Isn’t the normal land road enough. Sounds like the previous government was making money behind closed doors like building this highway through the outskirts so nobody knows and the rakyat wont make noise as well those from the kampung whose voices are far from being heard. Yes, good way of making money. OUR ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN RAPED. Lets do something, say no to reclamation of land is the first step.
The authorities should study the root-causes of the floods. Not just the clearing of rubbish that clog our drainage systems, not just de-sludging or desilting of rivers. They should effectively ban development on hillslopes. They should increase the ratio of open space to paved-over areas in development projects to minimise surface run-off. Large carparking grounds should not be paved over with concrete or tarmac but should be made water-permeable, with intermittent concrete-grass surfaces. Rainwater discharge from roofs should be retained for re-use. Introduce closed system road drains like in Ipoh, so that rubbish is not discarded into drains. It requires more than just the knee-jerk responses we’ve seen from the previous administration.
maybe this will enlighthen u folks better. 1/3 of sarawak will sink. i am not sure about east malaysia.
readthis before u start making conclusions.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1050990/The-North-Pole-island-time-history-ice-melts.html
The North Pole has become an island for the first time in human history.
Startling satellite pictures taken three days ago show that melting ice has opened up the fabled North-West and North-East Passages - making it possible to sail around the Arctic ice cap.
The opening of the passages has been eagerly awaited by shipping companies which hope they will be able to cut thousands of miles off their routes.
arctic map
Blocked: The Arctic ice, showing as a pink mass in the 1979 picture, links up with northern Canada (on the left) and Russia (right)
But to climate change scientists it is yet another sign of the damage global warming is inflicting on the planet.
Mark Serreze, a sea ice specialist, described the images as an ‘historic event’ - but warned they added to fears that the Arctic icecap has entered a ‘death spiral’.
The pictures, produced by Nasa, mark the first time in at least 125,000 years that the two shortcuts linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans have been ice-free at the same time.
In 2005, the North-East Passage around Russia opened, while the western one, across the top of Canada, remained closed, and last year the position was reversed.
But the satellite data shows that the North-West passage opened last weekend and the remaining tongue of ice blocking the North-Eastern one dissolved a few days later.
Professor Serreze, of the U.S. government-funded National Snow and Ice Data Center, told a Sunday newspaper: ‘The passages are open. It is an historic event.
‘We are going to see this more and more as the years go by.’
arctic map
Thawing ocean: The North-West Passage (circled left) and the North-East Passage (top right) are clear of ice
Shipping companies are ready to exploit the new routes. The Beluga group, based in Bremen, Germany, plans to send the first ship through the North-East passage next year, cutting 4,000 nautical miles off the voyage from Germany to Japan.
If the ice continues to melt at current rates it will soon be possible to sail right across the North Pole.
Many scientists believe that the mass of ice that forms a jagged circle around the North Pole could vanish altogether in the summer by 2030.
Others believe it could take as little as five years for the Pole, currently frozen all year round, to be ice-free between mid-July and mid-September.
Four weeks ago, tourists had to be evacuated from Baffin Island’s Auyuittuq National Park in northern Canada because of flooding from thawed glaciers.
The park’s name means ‘land that never melts’.
correction: i am not sure about WEST* malaysia.
Aisehan, we must change our lifestyle and travel by water craft now when we visit penang.
[...] Netto’s posts: floods submerge part of Penang and why is Penang turning into the Venice of the East - related to that very, very wet Saturday [...]
There is no point blaming the past administration whereby GERAKAN was in tenure past 38years. Now they are GONE.
In early 1970s, Bayan Baru was a spread of padi field, green and turned yellow gold when ready for harvesting.
You have kampung houses like islands in the spread of padi field. Gone were all this beautiful scenario in the name of development of Bayan Baru and in the name of electronics industry FTZ under the brainy lim Chong Eu.
As smart as he could be that time, Bayan Baru land is mostly still a low land area and with rising sea level over the decades due global warming, this area is so prone to frequent flood.
When it rains heavy for more than 4hours with extra high sea water level, this is a good recipe for flood and rakyat are the ones facing the problems.
We must look forward.
To begin with, we must start to give proposals how to go about it.
How is CM going to handle this?
Who is going to undertake the study? etc.
Only when the PGCC project starting construction works in Penang , then you will know what “worst flood” means in the history of mankind!!! You should consider yourself “fortunate” if Penanag is still there after NOV. monsoon season.