Downpour causes flash floods in Penang - Updated (Video)

GEORGE TOWN: About 100 areas in five districts in Penang was hit by flash floods following a heavy downpour yesterday.
Penang Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the flash floods at dawn were caused
by a inter-monsoon phenomenon experienced by the northern states in the peninsular of the country.
He said the state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) rainfall stations recorded high rainfall in just four hours at 198 mm at the northeast district (Sungai Pinang station) and 175mm at the southwest district (Teluk Bahang Dam station), while other districts recorded heavy rainfall of between 60 - 120 mm.
Chow said the state government will continue to implement flood mitigation projects at "hot-spot" areas in Penang.
He said the state government will use the allocation of RM300 million that has been approved in stages, starting from the last quarter of this year.
"This project will take about two to three years to complete, I hope the public can understand and realise how committed the state government is in implementing
flood mitigation projects to overcome the problem of flash floods, especially in low lying areas," he said in a press conference today.
Chow said 40 people from 19 families in Teluk Kumbar, and a senior citizen from Mak Mandin were evacuated to a temporary shelter.
The downpour also caused a landslide and resulted in several uprooted trees in Medan Fettes in Tanjung Bungah.
Locations hit in the southwest district include Kg Naran, Kg Sulup, Kg Nelayan, Bayan Baru, Sungai Pinang, Teluk Bahang, Sungai Rusa, Sungai Batu, Relau, Kampung Masjid, Pondok Upeh and several other villages.
In the northeast district, the affected areas includes Kg Masjid, Kg Makam, Jalan P. Ramlee, City Stadium Food Court, Jalan Tun Sardon, Farlim, Jalan Macallum, Taman Free School, Jalan Masjid and Kg Mutiara in Batu Ferringhi.
Several main roads near Masjid Negeri, Farlim and Paya Terubong were also cut off due to the rising water levels.
On the mainland, all three districts were hit by flash floods.
The affected areas in the northern Seberang Prai district includes the Mak Mandin industrial area where some 50 homes were affected.
In the central Seberang Prai district, several villages and residential areas in Seberang Jaya, Prai, Bukit Mertajam and Permatang Pauh were also flooded.
Early this morning, a section of the highway exit to Permatang Pauh was closed as floods had inundated the road.
Several areas in southern Seberang Prai especially in the low lying areas were also inundated with flood waters.
When contacted, Penang Civil Defence Department (APM) director, Pang Ah Leh, said the department had placed its members on alert and several vehicles including lorries and boats were deployed to the affected areas.