TASEK GELUGOR: The flooding in Penang is over, and the last five temporary evacuation centres (PPS)in the state are closed on Saturday morning (Sept 21).
There has been no rain since Friday (Sept 20), and the floodwaters that drove many from homes since Tuesday have receded completely.
According to the State Disaster Management Committee, all 259 evacuees from 72 families placed at the five relief centres in the districts of Seberang Perai Utara (SPU), Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) and Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) were allowed to return to their homes.
“Going by inspection and monitoring by the authorities, the flood waters have receded, the three districts have fully recovered and the evacuees have been allowed to return to their homes this morning.
“Following that, three SPU evacuation centres at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Padang Menora, SK Lahar Yooi, and Labuh Banting centre and one evacuation centre each at SPT, which is at Sekolah Rendah Islam Maahad At Tarbiah Guar Jering and SPS at Dewan MPKK Sanglang, were closed this morning,” said the report.
Since Tuesday (Sept 19), more than 700 flood victims in three districts in Penang have been transferred to 11 evacuation centres after their houses were lashed by heavy rain and strong winds. Dozens of houses were damaged, and hundreds of trees tumbled in the squall.
In PERLIS, the floods have also receded, and the three temporary evacuation centres in the Kangar and Arau areas, which accommodated 90 flood victims at 8am on Saturday, were closed at noon.
Perlis’s director of the Civil Defence Force (CDF), Lt Col (PA) Mohd Izaimi Md Daud, said all the evacuees were allowed to return home as the floodwaters in their housing areas had receded completely.
“The evacuation centres at SK Sena in Kangar and SK Dato Ahmad Musa-SK Kubang Gajah for the Arau area were completely closed at noon today,” he said in a statement.
He said that among the villages hit by the floods were Kampung Sungai Padang and Kampung Kubang Gajah in Arau and Kampung Tok Kandang, Kampung Bakau, Kampung Sena, and Kampung Seberang Tambang in Kangar. – Bernama
