Floods over the East Coast States of Peninsular Malaysia

on 8 – 12 December 2004

Floods are quite common over the three East Coast states of Peninsular Malaysia namely Kelantan, Trengganu and Pahang during the Northeast Monsoon season especially in November and December. However, the December 2004 flood was one of the worst in Malaysia in recent years.

Continuous heavy rains occurred between 8 – 12 December 2004 over the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia had caused the flood which destroyed livelihoods and disrupted power supplies and communication lines in Kelantan, Trengganu and Pahang. More than 15,000 people were evacuated from their homes and were housed in relief centres.

The inundation, which was the worst in Kelantan’s history, claimed 12 lives and resulted in the evacuation of more than 10,000 people in the state. Most of the rainfall stations recorded rainfall of more than 400 mm in the five-day event and some of the figures exceeded the 100-year return period. Search and rescue operations were mobilized immediately with the participation of the police, armed forces, Fire and Rescue Department as well as volunteers. The operations which involved the utilization of 54 boats and 113 vehicles were hampered by breakdown of power and communication lines in most places. The available resources were inadequate to cope with the massive number of people that had to be evacuated including the patients at Kota Bharu Hospital. A total of 647 relief centres and 147 supplies distribution centres were set up to help flood victims. Most government buildings, including the police headquarters and federal administrative centre, as well as shops in Kelantan were forced to close as the state capital Kota Bharu remained under one to two metres of water.