2 feet of rain in under 48 hours triggers floods in Johor, Malaysia - 4 dead, 40,000 flee homes (UPDATE)

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:17 UTC

© Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia Negeri Johor

Floods in Johor, Malaysia, March 2023.

Rivers are above the danger mark in at least 16 locations in the state of Johor, Malaysia, where thousands of people have evacuated their homes. Around 630 mm of rain fell in under 48 hours in some locations of Johor. Meanwhile, flooding has also affected areas of Sarawak and Sabah States.

Over 40 evacuation centres were set up in the districts of Johor Bahru, Kluang, Kota Tinggi, Kulai, Pontian and Segamat late on 28 February.

Malaysia's disaster management agency said over 5,000 people from 1,542 households had moved to the centres as of 01 March.

Heavy rain began on 28 February. According to figures from the Ministry Of Natural Resources, Environment And Climate Change, the Air Panas weather station in the Segamat district recorded 627 mm of rain from 28 to late 01 March.

More than 200 mm of rain was recorded in 29 locations of Johor state in 19 hours on 01 March. During this period the weather station at Felda Pemanis in the Segamat district recorded 417 mm of rain and Kampung Liang Batu in the Muar district recorded 395 mm. Paloh in Kluang district recorded 298 mm of rain.

Rivers were above the danger mark in at least 16 locations by late (local time) 01 March, including the Skudai River at Kampung Laut in Johor Bahru, which jumped to 5.49 metres on 01 March, well above the danger mark of 3 metres.

Heavy rain was reported in other parts of Peninsular Malaysia, in particular in Pahang where 72mm of rain fell in 1 hour and 431 mm in 19 hours in Pukin in the Rompin district.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia) expects heavy rainfall to continue until 02 March.

Sarawak and Sabah States

Authorities reported evacuations after flooding in Kuching, Sarawak, on 28 February 2023. As of 01 March over 150 people were in evacuation centres.

Flooding also affected the Kota Marudu and Sandakan districts of Sabah State. As of 01 March, a total of 485 people were evacuated.

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Comment: Update March 5

CNN reports:

Rescue efforts are underway in parts of Malaysia after seasonal floods killed at least four people and displaced more than 40,000.

Among the deaths confirmed Saturday by state authorities in Johor was a man who became trapped in a car that was swept away by rising floodwaters.

Footage taken by rescue workers and volunteers in towns across the southern state showed groups of people stranded on rooftops as their houses disappeared underwater.

Images shared by the National Flood Disaster Agency showed rescuers wading chest-deep in some areas to save people trapped in their homes. One rescue worker was seen carrying a baby in a bucket to safety.

Other images showed flooded roads and forests and vehicles submerged in muddy water.

© Mohd Rasfan

An aerial view shows the extent of flooding in the town of Yong Peng, located in Malaysia's southern Johor state on 4 March, 2023.