More mad weather, 1,000 Kulim homes hit

Almost 1,000 homes in villages and housing estates here were hit by flash floods following heavy rain and several rivers overflowing this evening.

Kulim police chief, Supt Ghuzlan Ghazali, said the affected housing estates were Taman Merak, Taman Bistari Phase I and II, Taman Tiong (Mukim Sungai Ular)and Taman Seri Kulim (Mukim Kulim) involving 900 homes, of which 500 were badly affected in Taman Merak and Taman Tiong.

Meanwhile, about another 100 houses in Kampung Bukit Sarang Ayam (Mukim Sungai Seluang), Kampung Padang Limau, Bukit Puteh (Mukim Karangan), Kampung Bukit Kukus (Mukim Keladi), Paya Tok Betuk and Kampung Teluk Sira (Mukim Sungai Ular) were also flooded.

Ghuzlan said the flash floods occurred after heavy rain from about 1pm to3pm which resulted in Sungai Ular, Sungai Kulim and Sungai Karangan overflowing, causing temporary closures of Jalan Sultanah Bahiyah towards Serdang, near TamanMerak.

The route from Jalan Taman Kota Kenari to Sungai Ular was also closed at 5pm due to the oveflowing Sungai Kulim at the Taman Tiong bridge, with water levels rising to almost 1.5 metres.

“The flood waters rose between 0.8 metre and 1.5 metres in the housing areas, while two families in Kampung Bukit Kukus, Jalan Lunas, had to remain inthe water after their homes were flooded a metre deep,” he said.

Ghuzlan said the flood waters in all affected areas were expected to subside later tonight despite the ongoing rain in several areas in Kulim.

Meanwhile, Lunas state constituency coordinator S. Ananthan and Padang Serai parliamentary constituency coordinator Chin Tung Lung visited several houses, including those in Kampung Bukit Kukus and the monsoon drain area in Jalan Padang Serai–Kulim in Paya Besar (Kampung Siam) which had collapsed.

They have informed the Kulim/Bandar Baharu Zone Federal Development Office to resolve the frequent floods affecting families living in two semi-detached houses there.

“Flooding is inevitable each time it rains… at times flash floods can occur four times a month,” said Zabidin Abu, 46, a resident who has lived  here with his wife and nine children for 20 years.

— Bernama