Description of Floods
Heavy rains that started in December 2016 continued until late January 2017 in parts of Malaysia, causing flooding in seven states of Peninsular Malaysia – Johor, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Terengganu, Malacca and Selangor – and Sabah in East Malaysia. Owing to the rains, several districts in 10 of Malaysia's 13 states were affected by floods. More than 23,000 people, mainly from smaller towns and villages in rural areas, had to leave their homes to the relief centres.
More background information on the floods can be obtained in Information Bulletin n°1 (issued on 5 January), Information Bulletin n°2 (issued on 27 January) and Information Bulletin n°3 (issued on 2 February).
The situation improved significantly after the weekend of Lunar New Year (28-29 January), with floodwater receding in several affected districts, allowing families that were in relief centres to return home. According to media reports, at least 80 per cent of evacuees in the affected areas have returned home. The state of Johor suffered the brunt of rising waters, with more than 8,000 evacuees and one fatality, according to the National Agency for Disaster Administration (NADMA). As of 8 February, 189 people (54 families) are still in active relief centres in Perak.
While the situation has improved, forecasts by the Malaysian Meteorological Department project that more rains may affect Peninsular Malaysia in the second week of February. Such as scenario would affect the condition of major rivers in Pahang, Terengganu, Johor and Perak which are still at critical levels. The public authorities, in particular NADMA, and response organizations, including the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS), have taken precautionary efforts to ensure that response teams are ready for the potential second cycle of flooding in these areas.