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.
| Please help to support this blog if you can. Read the commenting guidlelines for this blog. |
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.
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… Read more »
Aisehan, we must change our lifestyle and travel by water craft now when we visit penang.
correction: i am not sure about WEST* malaysia.
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:… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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..
Anwarwood Productions – The Biggest Blockbuster Show on Earth!
(Anwarwood Produksi – Tayangan Paling Besar dan Hebat di Dunia!)
http://patek1472.wordpress.com
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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.
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.
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.
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???
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.
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.
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.