Malaysia: Floods - Nov 2024

At the end of November 2024, Malaysia experienced heavy rainfall attributed to the Northeast Monsoon, resulting in escalating flooding across nine states: Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Perak, Melaka and Perlis. The heavy rain caused significant damage to livelihood, houses and livestock, severely impacting the affected communities.

As of 2 December 2024, the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) reported that approximately 137,410 people have been affected by the ongoing floods across multiple areas in Malaysia. The Deputy Prime Minister, informed the media that this year's flooding is the worst since 2014, with Kelantan and Terengganu being particularly badly affected. Since 27 November, a total of 633 temporary shelter centers have been opened to accommodate 40,922 families displaced by the floods. The disaster has claimed five lives in Kelantan and Terengganu, as confirmed by the Department of Social Welfare (JKM).

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security reported that Malaysia has suffered approximately about CHF 1.79 million in losses due to the destruction of rice/paddy plantation caused by the flood. The significant damage has forced the country to increase reliance on imported rice to meet domestic needs. Overall, the Malaysian agriculture sector faces a total estimated loss of CHF 3.77 million due to the disaster. [...]

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MET Malaysia) has forecasted continued adverse weather conditions, including thunderstorms, heavy rain, and strong winds, across Peninsular Malaysia between 6 to 9 December 2024. These conditions are expected to exacerbate the ongoing flooding, increasing the number of affected individuals and intensifying challenges for emergency response and recovery efforts. Persistent heavy rainfall has already caused river water levels to surpass designated danger thresholds, posing a severe risk of river overflows that could inundate surrounding areas.

This relentless rainfall has caused extensive damage, not only to homes but also to critical infrastructure. Roads, airports, and railways, particularly in the East Coast states, have been severely affected, cutting off intercity connections and complicating relief efforts. The combined impact of floods and landslides underscores the urgent need for enhanced mitigation measures and coordinated response strategies. (IFRC, 08 Dec 2024)

Peninsular Malaysia, including Johor, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, and Terengganu States continues to experience heavy rainfall and consequent floods that resulted in displacements and damage. According to the ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet), in the past few days, 6,517 people have been displaced in 44 evacuation centres across the aforementioned states. (ECHO, 12 Dec 2024)

As of 4 January 2025, Malaysia is still grappling with severe flooding caused by the ongoing Northeast Monsoon, which began in November 2024 and is expected to persist until March 2025. The eastern coastal states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Johor have been the hardest hit, with heavy rainfall leading to widespread flooding, displacement, and significant disruptions to daily life. METMalaysia forecasts an additional five to seven episodes of heavy rainfall during this monsoon season, signalling that the situation may continue for several months. The floods have caused substantial damage to homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods, with roads, airports, and railways particularly affected in the East Coast states. This has disrupted intercity connectivity and hampered relief efforts. Landslides have compounded the crisis, underscoring the need for stronger disaster mitigation and response strategies. Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security reported approximately CHF 1.79 million in losses due to the destruction of rice and paddy plantations, exacerbating the economic impact on affected communities. The floods have affected nine states across Malaysia, including Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Perak, Melaka, and Perlis. Satellite imagery from UNOSAT shows that Terengganu, Kelantan, and Kedah were the most severely impacted, with floodwaters initially covering approximately 11,000 km² in Terengganu and Kelantan, affecting 120,000 people. In Kedah, the floods impacted 1.3 million people across 268 km², with significant damage to cropland, which persists even as waters begin to recede. (IFRC, 9 Jan 2025)

Heavy rainfall has been affecting Peninsular Malaysia since 10 January, causing floods that have resulted in population displacement and damage. According to the ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) reports, as of 12 January, 3,844 people have been displaced in 38 evacuation centres, of whom 3,779 people in Johor, 34 in Perak, and 31 in Terengganu states, in southern Peninsular Malaysia. (ECHO, 13 Jan 2025)

Severe monsoon floods continue to devastate Sabah and Sarawak, displacing thousands and causing widespread disruption. Since 28 January 2025, continuous heavy rainfall, compounded by high tides and the Northeast Monsoon, has led to rising water levels, road inundations, and landslides. In Sarawak, the situation worsened due to the collision of extreme monsoon rains with high tides, triggering large-scale evacuations and the activation of multiple relief centers. As of 31 January 2025, 12,486 evacuees from 3,648 families have been relocated to 62 temporary relief centers (PPS) in Sarawak. Bintulu remains the most severely impacted district, sheltering 5,885 evacuees from 1,649 families, followed by Serian (2,307 evacuees, 709 families) and Samarahan (2,005 evacuees, 670 families). Other significantly affected districts include Sibu (1,163 evacuees, 293 families), Miri (650 evacuees, 172 families), and Kuching (475 evacuees, 153 families), with a single evacuee recorded in Mukah. In Miri, continuous heavy rainfall triggered a major landslide, resulting in the tragic loss of five lives. (IFRC, 1 Feb 2025)

Heavy rainfall continued to affect eastern Malaysia, the Malaysian part of the Borneo Island since 29 January, causing floods and landslides that have resulted in casualties and damage. According to the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), as of 4 February, the death toll stands at five fatalities. IFRC also reports nearly 12,500 evacuated people in 62 temporary relief centers across the Sarawak State. In addition, around 5,200 evacuated people in 33 temporary relief centers were reported across the Sabah State. (IFRC, 4 Feb 2025)

Heavy rainfall has been affecting Peninsular Malaysia, in particular the southern states of Pahang and the neighbouring Negeri Sembilan over the last 24 hours, causing floods that have resulted in population evacuations and damage. The ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) reports, as of 20 February, a total of 251 evacuated people, of which 150 evacuated people in one evacuation center across the Pahang state, and 101 evacuated people in one evacuation center in the Negeri Sembilan state. (ECHO, 20 Feb 2025)

Heavy rainfall has been affecting the Malaysian part of the Borneo Island since 26 February, causing floods that have resulted in evacuations and damage. As of 28 February, the ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) reports a total of 397 evacuated people. 340 of them are located across five evacuation centres in the Telupis district, and 57 are in two evacuation centres in the Paitan district, both in the Sabah state. (ECHO, 28 Feb 2025)

Heavy rainfall has been affecting the state of Sabah, northern Borneo Island, Malaysia since 8 March, causing floods that have resulted in displacement and damage of buildings and infrastructure. As of 10 March, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) reports a total of 4,555 people sheltering in 14 relief centres. The districts impacted, including Tenom, Beaufort, Membakut, and Sook, have seen a total of 37 villages affected. (ECHO, 12 Mar 2025)

Heavy rainfall continued to affect Peninsular Malaysia, particularly the southernmost Johor state and eastern Malaysia, the Sabah and Sarawak states in the Malaysian part of Borneo Island since 19 March, causing floods and flash floods and triggering landslides. The ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) reports, as of 21 March, more than 11,000 evacuated people across the Johor state (with 9,646 evacuated people), the Sabah state (1,237 evacuated people), and the Sarawak state (188 evacuated people). Several people were evacuated across 99 evacuation centres. The worst affected cities are Johor Bahru, Kulai, and Pontian in the Johor state. (ECHO, 21 Mar 2025)

The recent flood in Sabah which began on 8 March 2025, had a profound impact on the region, affecting six districts: Beaufort, Membakut, Keningau, Sook, Tenom and Kemabong, and disrupting of the lives of thousands. It is estimated that 333,383 people in Sabah were affected from the recent flood. [...] As of 10 March 2025, the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) reported that about 4,644 people from 1,493 households were displaced across the six districts. [...] The flood caused significant disruptions to essential services and infrastructure. Numerous roads were rendered impassable due to damages and landslides, hindering the timely delivery of relief assistance and causing some residents to take emergency leave. Alternative routes were often distant or hazardous, worsen the isolation of the affected community. Transportation and distribution of goods were severely vulnerable, leading to market closures and challenges in accessing food supplies. [...] Educational institutions were also impacted, with 24 schools affected by the flood. Some schools were closed, while others were repurposed as temporary evacuation centres. Even in operational schools, students’ attendance declined due to road closures. (IFRC, 28 Mar 2025)

On 5 April, floods triggered by heavy rainfall affected the states of Johor (in southern Peninsular Malaysia) and Sabah (in northeastern Borneo), resulting in displacement. According to the ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet), 472 people have been displaced and evacuated to two evacuation centres. (ECHO, 10 Apr 2025)

Heavy rainfall affected Peninsular Malaysia, in particular the western state of Selangor over the past week, causing floods that have resulted in population evacuations and damage. The ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) reports, as of 28 April, a total of more than 1,420 evacuated people, of which 608 evacuated people are in one evacuation centre in Kuala Selangor town, and 552 evacuated people are in four evacuation centres across the Petaling district, Selangor state. (ECHO, 28 Apr 2025)

Heavy rainfall has been affecting eastern Malaysia, the Malaysian part of Borneo Island since 1 May. As of 5 May ADINet reports a total of nearly 1,650 evacuated people. 1,627 people were evacuated across five evacuation centres in the Keningau district and the Beaufort district, both in the Sabah state, and 16 people were evacuated in one evacuation centre in the Cameron Highlands district in the neighbouring Pahang state. (ECHO, 5 May 2025)