PENANG DISASTER ZONE
Five people are killed, thousands evacuated, and countless properties destroyed or damaged in the state's worst-ever floods.
PENANGITES were left reeling yesterday as gale force winds and heavy rain left a massive trail of destruction across the island and mainland, forcing more than 2,000 people to move to shelters due to flash floods.
Yesterday’s flash floods were the 120th time the state was hit since 2013 and were the worst in the state’s history.
The stormy weather caused six casualties when four senior citizens drowned in separate locations and a Bangladeshi man died when an uprooted tree landed on his rented plank house.
The 17-hour downpour since Saturday noon paralysed George Town and Seberang Prai, triggered landslides, uprooted trees, and caused heavy traffic as roads were impassable.
Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Anuar Omar said the body of Chew Eng Lean, 78, who lived in an old folks’ home in Jalan P. Ramlee, was recovered at 6.30am.
The second victim, Amanullah Shahib Kalandir, 75, drowned in his house in Kampung Masjid, Jalan Perak, at 8.40am.
Amanullah, who lived alone, was believed to have drowned when he could not escape his submerged home. The bodies of the third and fourth victims, Lau Guek Jee, 64, and Chong Sin Thon, 97, who died in their homes in Lilitan Hargreaves and Jalan Shaik Madar, Air Itam, were recovered at 11am and 1pm.
The Bangaldeshi man died at his home in Kampung Perlis, Jalan Assumption, Butterworth.
The sixth victim’s body was found entangled in rubbish and mud at the City Stadium here last night. The authorities have yet to ascertain his identity.
Mature trees in the inner city here and outlying areas of the island and Seberang Prai in the mainland were uprooted by the storm, which started lashing the island about 2pm on Saturday.
Pictures in social media showed a ferry washed up against the terminal pier in Butterworth; a flooded underpass in Seberang Jaya; and a casket being carried on a boat to a crematorium in Bukit Mertajam.
In Tanjung Bungah, a section of a road caved in near Surin Condominium in the new residential neighbourhood of Chee Seng Gardens, causing damage to several new houses. A retaining wall also collapsed.
The worst-hit areas included Jalan Masjid Negeri, Jalan Perak in front of the Taman Abidin flats, Jalan Makloom, Jalan Free School, Jalan Terengganu, Jalan Sungai Pinang and Lilitan Stadium.
Some areas, such as Lintang Sungai Ara and Gurney Drive, which are rarely flooded or had not been flooded in more than 30 years, were inundated. Other flooded areas included Bayan Lepas, Bayan Baru, Balik Pulau and Batu Ferringhi. In Seberang Prai, the affected areas included Permatang Rawa, Taman Bagan, Taman Cantek, Mak Mandin, Jalan Guar Perahu, Jalan Raja Uda, Jalan Bukit Tengah, Taman Mutiara, Jalan Tembikai, ukit Mertajam, Taman Usaha, Lorong Usahajaya, Taman Senangin, Taman Nibong Tebal, Jalan Bukit Teh, Kampung Baru Sungai Bakap, Kampung Sethu, Lorong Janggus and Taman Sukun.
By 7.30pm on Saturday, almost 80 areas in the state were inundated following non-stop rain and rising water levels in rivers, with high tides. Many roads, especially those near hills, such as Jalan Tun Sardon, Jalan Batu Ferringhi and Jalan Paya Terubong, were impassable due to fallen trees.
The state Irrigation and Drainage Department said water levels in some rivers rose to dangerous levels. At 6.15pm, Sungai Dondang was at 22.11m and Sungai Air Itam at 6.84m.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng believed the extraordinary storm was a side effect of the Damrey Typhoon that hit Vietnam.
Damrey, with wind speeds up to 90kph, has reportedly killed 27 people since it hit Vietnam on Saturday, damaging more than 400,000 homes and uprooting trees and electricity poles.
A Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd spokesman said the bad weather affected 26 arriving and departing flights at Penang
International Airport.
He said three flights were diverted to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang and one to Langkawi International Airport.
Even Penang Hospital was not spared from the wrath of Mother Nature when the transportation unit and neonatal wards were submerged.
State Health Department director Datuk Dr Sukumar Mahesan said the department ordered an evacuation, and 104 patients and four newborns were transferred to safer ground.
Floodwaters inundated major roads, and electricity supply to key areas was disrupted.
A victim, who only wished to be known as Susi, considered yesterday’s downpour as one of the worst. She said the rain began just before midnight and continued for more than five hours.
“I have never come across such a situation. A few months ago, we had heavy rain, but yesterday’s was one of the worst.
“My daughter and I were terrified,” said Susi, who lives at the Taman Pauh Indah flats in Pauh Indah, Permatang Pauh.
The heavy rain prevented residents from leaving their homes, she said.
“The wind was so strong. I was afraid it would rip off the roof. I prayed very hard for our safety.”
She said she urged her daughter not to go to work yesterday morning for her safety.
She said the rain stopped at 7.45am. From her window, she saw several inundated roads.
Abdul Karim Abdul, who lives in Jalan P. Ramlee, said flash floods were common in the area.
He said the area would often flood after a downpour.
“We are tired of flash floods. We hope the state government does something to solve our woes. We have been hit by flash floods more than 20 times this year.” Page 1 pic: The damaged new houses and caved-in road in Chee Seng Gardens, Tanjung Bungah, yesterday.