Perak Welfare Department ready for high tide phenomenon

IPOH: The State Welfare Department has made preparations to assist villagers after the high tide phenomenon hit several districts in the state.
Perak Women Development, Family, Welfare Department, Housing and Local Government committee chairman Datuk Rusnah Kassim said the department has prepared pillows, blankets and other necessities in case people had to be evacuated from their homes.
"However no residents or villagers have been evacuated yet as the water level from the high tide is still at the lowest level," she told reporters after attending the Perak Fire and Rescue Department monthly gathering here today.
Rusnah said the flood relief centres are on standby to receive the evacuees.
Department director Datuk Yahaya Madis said the department's stations which are in the vicinity of beaches and seas had been on standby since Oct 15.
"Evacuation operations have not started but our men are monitoring the situation," he said.
The stations are in Teluk Intan, Hutan Melintang, Sitiawan, Pantai Remis, Pangkor, Kuala Kurau, Parit Buntar, Kerian, Taiping and Kamunting.
He said the department's 1,178 personnel throughout the state are ready to be mobilised.
Meanwhile, the situation at Bagan Datoh, Larut Matang and Selama, Manjung and Hilir Perak districts which were hit by the high tides is improving as the water level subsides.
A statement from the state's Disaster Management Committee said the high tide rose from between 2.7m and 3.4m from 1am to 7.30am today.
The tide caused water to flood several villages along the coastal areas in the four districts up to between 0.1m and 0.9m.