Morning downpour displace over 450 residents in Penampang, believed to be worst flood in Sabah district in 20 years

Malay Mail

KOTA KINABALU, July 2 — The initial fear of a second wave of floods from another heavy downpour this morning have subsided as of noon today, along with the water levels in the hardest-hit district of Penampang in central Sabah.

The number of evacuees have remained largely the same since this morning, with some 459 people displaced from their homes, mostly from Penampang.

The Penampang Cultural Centre is currently housing some 274 people from 92 families, down from 279 this morning, while in the district of Putatan, the Dewan Sri Putatan is housing 138 people from 34 families.

In Tuaran and Tamparuli districts, 47 people have been evacuated and are being temporarily sheltered.

The Sabah disaster management secretariat also reported water levels in rivers are stable in all areas.

The first flood wave which happened last Sunday afternoon, wreaked havoc in the interior district of Penampang, uprooting houses and trees, submerging cars and causing the death of one 37-year-old woman, who was in the vicinity to help deliver food to stranded victims.

Believed to be the worst in the district in two decades, the flooding happened after three hours of rain but raised to unprecedented levels in record time, causing the district office to declare a disaster alert.

Authorities have blamed the disaster on an overflow from rivers during the high tide with the water level measuring 1.2 metres.

The state government has provided RM1,000 in relief funds to evacuees while implementing several short term actions including short term maintenance on monsoon drains and cleaning and dredging on drains and rivers.