A torrential downpour created havoc in Penang this morning.
Flash floods hit sections of Jalan Masjid Negeri/Green Lane and the junction with Jalan Yeap Chor Ee. Not far away, in Jalan Utara, water gushed down driveways and crashed into houses below road-level.
Flood waters also swamped Jalan Sungai Dua, making it impassable to traffic and flooding the basement of an apartment complex, knocking out power.
In Batu Lanchang, the small stream next to the Jelutong School swelled into an ugly mass of swirling water as a couple of frightened cows grazing on the banks tugged on their tether as they waded in knee-deep water. Inside the school, boys raced in glee across the school-field in ankle-deep water and dived down creating a splash.
More scattered thunderstorms are expected over the next three days.
Was your area affected? And what are the causes of these floods? Heavy rain coupled with high tide, over-development and concrete and tar everywhere?
This report from The Star:
Updated: Saturday May 14, 2011 MYT 2:47:31 PM
Floods cause traffic jams in Penang
By K. SUTHAKARGEORGE TOWN: A downpour, which began at about 11am, caused flash floods in several low-lying areas here and traffic snarls along major roads.
A check showed that the water rose to knee level in some parts of Minden Heights.
Taman Brown Village Development and Security Committee chairman K. Santha said some houses in Changkat Minden 7 were flooded.
“I have received feedback from members that it is due to a swollen drain within the Universiti Sains Malaysia grounds,” she said.
A check showed that some areas along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Jalan Masjid Negeri were also flooded.
There was a 1km-long traffic jam on the Bayan Baru elevated highway heading to Gelugor.
It was due to a malfunctioning traffic light at the Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah-Sungai Dua junction.
The jams were made worse by vehicles stalled along the roads.
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Sungai Dua Flood :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsbigBr6IxY
Merdeka 50 over years, country is rich in natural resources (but depleting) yet water still naik like Barang Naik. Better ged rid of those who are wasting and leaking taxpayers’ funds.
The billion ringgit flood mitigation just go to drain. It never work as predicted. LGe just has no gut to stop the BN billion project which is a real wastage.
Lebuhraya Thean Teik was knee depth with water flashing down the hill. A scary sign that there might be a landslide in the near future if the problem continued.
Ah Soon. Why blame LGE for for the billion $ flood mitigation project. What has it got to do with LGE. I thought the project was kick off before LGE took over from … koh. Please don’t lie. Be a gentleman. Give a genuine comment.
Uncle Soon, 1. Penang island – land too scarce to build water catchments. Any other proposals/ method wherein we Penangites can have the cakes and eat them too? 2. Wondering – if Penang people set up a watertank at home, will PBA/Indahwater slap summon on us – attempt break their ricebowls? Will Health Officer slap summon that I breed larvae? 3. I feel one of the reasons of flashflood is – MPPP doesnt diligently sweep away dried leaves. Its hilarious that they sweep only the road, sometimes shoulders, beyond that ‘ its none of their business’ but the leaves are… Read more »
I hope I don’t need keep promoting building water catchment policies till year 2030 in Bolehland. Whether flash flood or not, when a large area pave with road and building, with water flush down to drainage immediately during the rain, it will overflow the main waterway sooner or later. It make me laugh when people keep promoting the idea “expanding monsoon drain “. Oh dear, people must have think the nature river water way will “upgrade” automatically and expand during heavy rain. Water catchment retrieval policies can recover part of this rain water from flushing directly into sewage, which can… Read more »
human greed and inefficient municipal guardian are the main cause. around gurney drive – birch close, birch road and birch lane becomes ‘sungei birch’ each time there is heavy downpour. it is so obvious that the monsoon drain flowing to the sea is just inadequate, thanks to the excessive development around the gurney drive area. there is no thought of deepening/widening the drain after so much built up over the last 10 years. what amazes me is that all they care are the super structures and the responsibility stops at the gate and not beyond. certainly such development cannot use… Read more »
boy scout ktk did nothing to deepen the drain, make pedestrian walk friendly but gave away penang taxpayers money to federal to secure his position and penangites took 18 years to find out … not as bad as merdeka since 1957 we still see barang naik
UMNO/BN what have you got to say?! The neglect by the previous govt placed the present govt having an impossible task to sort out all the problems with the infrastructures…especially, the drainage system. It will take lot of money and proper planning before a promising result appear. Hope the PR govt will the sense to engage reliable consultants to come out with good proposals rather than, just do patch up jobs.
KL has the world biggest ‘longkang’ we called ‘smart’, still flood. Is DID under Federal jurisdiction?
Nature’s fury was experienced in this morning raining cats and dogs. All it takes is just an hour of this fury to cause havoc in many concrete areas where surface flow of running water is unimpeded unlike forested terrains where flora and permeable soil act as nature’s sponge to slow down surface water flow. What we are facing now is unprecedented in destructive scale compared to 40 years ago where inner city development of strategic network of open moonsoon drains and fewer housing fever in out lying areas such as Green Lane, Sungai Dua, Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bungah and Paya… Read more »
Shouldn’t it be “Georgetown”, as a single word, rather than “George Town”? Yup, I am a Penangite 🙂
Officially, it is George Town. 2 separate words.
Ha…KTK the one to blame!…. says..’YES’ to everyone..so that he offended no one….in the end..he pleases nobody!