Always be prepared for floods

It is critical to be alert, paying attention to surroundings, warnings and evacuation orders

IT is raining and flooding in the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu, as the weatherman has predicted. Continuous rainfall is seasonal in Malaysia. And, so are floods. Because of this, we tend to let our guard down. This is a dangerous lapse because lives can be lost within seconds. Also, there is the element of climate change, which alters the disaster equation somewhat. We can no longer tell for certain that floods may follow the northeast or southwest monsoon seasons. Cyclones and typhoons have come unannounced to our shores, too.

Malaysia’s location and topography, together with the country’s 189 river basins, make it ideal for both natural and non-natural floods. According to a study conducted by the East Coast Environmental Research Institute, University Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu in 2014, 85 of the river basins are prone to recurrent flooding. The study also revealed that an estimated 29,800sq km or nine per cent of the total area of Malaysia was vulnerable to flood disaster, and affected about five million people. And, when you add to this, what the Drainage and Irrigation Department calls the non-natural floods, which is caused by blockages to the drainage system then you get floods spelt “disaster”. We saw this happening recently in Penang. But, clogged drains are not just native to Penang. Urban cities and towns elsewhere in the country have had their fair share. So long as we continue with the practice of filling the drains with construction waste and other trash, flash floods will shadow us like the devil. This is one bad habit that needs immediate repair. And, it costs pittance to drop.

That we cannot avoid floods, at least the natural kind is a given. Malaysia’s geography and the numerous river basins ensure that. When rain falls, especially the copious kind, at least 85 riverbanks will overflow. We cannot do much about natural flooding, except a few things. One is, perhaps, we can move people away from flood-prone areas. But, this will be difficult, and, expensive, too. Perhaps, the states can take measures that discourage people from building their dwellings too close to a floodplain. Equally expensive will be constructing dykes or other floodwalls, because the riverbanks are miles long. And, there are at least 85 of them.

Being flood-safe and exercising other precautionary measures are less costly options. A family flood disaster plan or a village disaster plan is necessary, especially in flood-prone areas. A disaster plan is useful because all the actions that need be taken in the event of floods are predetermined; actions become almost autopilot. This saves time, especially when evacuation is necessary. For example, important documents and medications will be all-ready in a bag, just to be picked up on the go. It is also critical to be alert, paying attention to the surroundings, flood warnings and evacuation orders. Be prepared. As an anonymous writer said, “Prepare and prevent, don’t repair and repent”.

When rain falls, especially the copious kind, at least 85 riverbanks will overflow.