SHAH ALAM: Residents in five districts in Selangor have been warned to brace themselves for possible flooding.
Selangor State Secretariat Disaster Management director Ahmad Fairuz Yusof said the five districts were Klang, Sabak Bernam, Kuala Selangor, Sepang and Kuala Langat, affecting fifteen areas.
He said the high-tide phenomenon, which began this month is expected to last until December 2017 along the coastal areas of Selangor, with the highest water-level readings expected in October and November.
The high-tide (any tide over 4.5m), if coupled with heavy rain and strong winds, could result in flooding along the coastal areas, he said.
He said water control gates would be closed to prevent sea water from entering coastal areas, including fisherman settlements.
“However, with heavy rain and strong winds, sea water can overflow. And if there is coastal erosion, sea water might flow in via the erosion.
“Saltwater flooding can cause more damage to infrastructure and properties compared to rain water flooding.
“Hence, residents at the respective areas should be on their toes if the authorities instruct them to evacuate.
“Relief centres will be opened a day before the dates stated to facilitate search and rescue processes.
“Residents in the high-risk flood prone areas are advised to adhere to the advice from local authorities and safety officers on the respective dates stated should there be a need for evacuation or other alerts,” he told reporters at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah building here today.
Fairuz said the highest water level this month was predicted to be 5.3m, while the highest in October, November and December would be 5.5m, 5.6m and 5.4m respectively.
He said local authorities, police, personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department and the National Security Council have been informed of possible flooding and evacuation plans.
Selangor has been inundated by flooding woes in the past few years, including September last year, when a high-tide phenomenon flooded 13 areas in five districts.
Fairuz said the state government has allocated RM8 million for ongoing repair and upgrading works along the shorelines of high-risk areas.
Following the flooding last year, he said the state government forked out RM4.3million for repair works.
“This time, we cannot predict if it (flooding) will happen despite repair works at some areas. Why take the risk? We better be prepared.
“Our officers start monitoring the water levels as early as 4am. This morning, despite being 5.3m high, there were no reports of overflowing or flooding,” he added.
In Klang, the flood-prone areas were Pangkalan Tok Muda, Batu 4 Jalan Kapar, Ban Sementa, Port Klang and Jalan Pandamaran Banting.
For Sabak Bernam, the areas were Tebuk Mendeling, Sungai Ayer Tawar and Sungai Panjang, and in Kuala Selangor, the areas were Tanjung Karang, Kampung Kuantan, Pantai Remis and Pekan Sungai Buloh.
In Sepang, it is Pesisir Pantai Bagan Lalang and in Kuala Langat, the high-risk areas were Pantai Kelanang and Pesisir Pantai Tanjung Sepat.