2014–15 floods in Southeast Asia and South Asia

2014–15 floods in Southeast Asia and South Asia
Date

14 December 2014 – 2 January 2015

Location  Indonesia
 Malaysia
 Sri Lanka
 Thailand
Deaths 75 killed

Beginning on 14 December 2014, a series of floods from the northeast monsoon hit Indonesia,[11] West Malaysia, Southern Thailand, and later Sri Lanka in South Asia. More than 100,000 people have been evacuated in Indonesia, 200,000 in Malaysia, and several thousand in Thailand.[12] Floods are also affecting 1,100,000 in Sri Lanka.[13]

Causes

Malaysian Meteorological Department National Weather Centre senior meteorological officer Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip attributed the flooding in northern Malaysia to the full moon and the presence of northeast monsoon winds blowing consistently across the South China Sea from November 2014 until March 2015.[14] He noted that rivers overflowed when incessant rainfall caused water from the upstream to not reach the confluence.[14] The Malaysian government has promised to undertake a thorough investigation to identify the real cause of this floods especially in the east coast when the floods have receded.[15] The year's heavy rains were caused by a southeast monsoon blowing across the South China Sea, making the sea warmer than usual.[16] Scientists have predicted that as climate change worsens, storm patterns will become less predictable and more severe.[12] Massive development without care to the environment and drainage problems have been cited as contributing factors.[16]

Affected regions

Various countries have been affected by floods with Malaysia topped the list of evacuees.[17]

 Country   Fatalities   Evacuees   Ref 
 Indonesia 0 120,000 [18]
 Malaysia 21 237,037 [19]
 Thailand 15 10,000 [20][21]
 Sri Lanka 39 50,832 [13]
Total 75 417,869 +

Southeast Asia

Indonesia

Heavy rains in North Sumatra caused flooding in most areas from 14 December, but as of 17 December the water was receding.[1] On 19 December, another flood damaged 525 hectares (1,300 acres) of farmland in eight districts in Indragiri Hulu Regency, Riau.[22] Hundreds of houses in the Bengkalis Regency of Riau were submerged waist-deep (1 metre (3.3 ft)), but the approximately 500 residents are still at home as there is no place to take refuge. The villagers cannot do anything because of a limited budget.[23][24] In the Tamiang district of Aceh, flooding forced about 28,000 people to take shelter on higher ground.[25] A total of 94,500 people have taken refuge in Aceh as of 27 December.[11] As of 27 December, about 100,000 people had been evacuated nationwide, with the number of patients seeking treatment at command posts still increasing.[11]

Between 26–28 December, most floods in such areas in Aceh have receded.[26][27]

Malaysia

Heavy rains since 15 December forced 3,390 people in Kelantan and 4,209 people in Terengganu to flee their homes.[6][7] Several Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) intercity train services along the East Coast route were disrupted on 18 December following the floods.[28] On 20 December, the area of Kajang, Selangor, was also hit by serious floods.[29] By 23 December, most rivers in Kelantan, Pahang, Perak and Terengganu had reached dangerous levels.[30] Due to rising water levels, most businesses were affected, and about 60,000 people were displaced in the next day. The state of Kelantan had the most evacuees (20,468[31] to 24,765), followed by Terengganu (21,606), Pahang (10,825), Perak (1,030), Sabah (336) and Perlis (143).[32][33]

The situation continues to worsen in Kelantan and Terengganu, due to heavy rain. Most roads in Kelantan have been closed.[34] The worst-hit district in Terengganu is Kemaman, followed by Dungun, Kuala Terengganu, Hulu Terengganu, Besut and Marang. In Pahang, the worst-hit areas are Kuantan, Maran, Jerantut, Lipis and Pekan.[34] Dozens of foreign tourists were stranded at a resort in a Malaysian national park in Pahang. Most were travellers from Canada, Britain, Australia and Romania.[35] All were rescued via boat and helicopter.[17] In Kedah, at least 51 people were evacuated.[36] A teenager in Perlis was the first victim to die in this flood.[37]

In southern Malaysia, between 300 and 350 people have been displaced in both Johor and Negeri Sembilan.[38][39] The number of evacuees nationwide reached more than 200,000 by 28 December, with 10 people killed. The flooding is considered the country's worst in decades.[12][17][40] However, the exact numbers of evacuees, missing persons and deaths are unknown, as the Malaysian flood centre was unable to provide any accurate figures.[41] Some victim were found in miserable condition after surviving on one meal of rice a day after being stranded in the floods.[42] On 31 December, a Royal Malaysia Police Ecureuill AS 355F2 helicopter crashed during a patrol in Kelantan, injuring four crews on board.[43]

As of 2 January 2015, floodwaters continued to recede and the number of evacuees in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Perak continued to reduce.[44]

Thailand

On 21 December, a Bell 206 helicopter which departed for relief missions crashed in Yala's Muang District due to bad weather, injuring four crewmen.[45] Because of the incident, Thai southern army has imposed a ban on all types of aircraft from 22–26 December and were ordered to use only ground vehicles to patrol flooded areas.[46] A large number of districts in Narathiwat Province have been declared disaster zones with 115,853 residents from 30,624 households been affected.[45] Eight of sixteen districts in Songkhla Province, including Hat Yai, Sadao, Rattaphum, Khuan Niang, Chana, Thepha, Na Thawi and Sabai Yoi also have been declared disaster zones.[47] In Yala Province, more than 50,000 residents have been affected.[48] As of 30 December, 15 people have been killed in the flooding.[12][21]

On 26 December, rains in Narathiwat and Pattani provinces have stopped, while flooding in Phatthalung has eased. Continuous aid was distributed to affected residents in Songkhla Province including to Malaysian residents in the border of Narathiwat as Thai Prime Minister had heard that around 40,000 Malaysians living along the border were suffering.[49]

South Asia

Sri Lanka

An estimated 1.1 million people were affected by torrential rainfall, widespread floods, landslides, mudslides and high winds since 19 December 2014.[9] Over 6,400 houses are reportedly fully destroyed and an estimated 18,537 houses are partially damaged. There were 39 deaths, with 20 people injured and 2 people still missing, UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported.

With the flood situation being gradually normalised, people living in safety centres or with host families have begun to return home.[9]

Effects

Healthcare

As of 29 December, the flooding has affected 102 health facilities in West Malaysia, 38 of which are still operating.[50] Helicopters were used to evacuate patients from hospital as the flood worsened.[51] Most hospital staffs have been working tirelessly for over 5 days.[52]

In Thailand, sandbag barriers were stacked around Nong Chik Hospital in Pattani, with four pumps working around the clock to keep out the flood water. Sandbags were also stacked at Tambon Pakaharang health promotion hospital. Some equipment was relocated to higher ground as a precaution. However, both hospitals continued their regular daily operations.[53]

Education

Three main universities in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu in Malaysia were affected by floods.[54] Most students in Kelantan university decided to flee from their university in view of worsening flood crisis.[55]

In Thailand, 237 schools were closed due to floods.[56]

Economy

Palm oil and rubber prices have surged as flooding has disrupted supplies from Thailand and Malaysia.[57] Rubber output in Thailand and Malaysia will drop at least 30 per cent and prices been predicted to rise further.[57] As floodwaters in Malaysia are not receding, palm oil production decline sharply.[57]

Social

In Malaysia, shortage of food supplies, electricity, clean water, banking services and erratic communication problems continue to affect flood victims after the flood started to recede. Lack of banking services has caused some petrol stations to run out of small change.[58] Some victims survived on donated relief items while other desperate flood victims started to fight or steal for food and valuables from abandoned homes.

Flood victims at Rantau Panjang, Kelantan, Malaysia, started to cross Golok River into Su-ngai Kolok town as the floods here in Thailand begun to subside. Residents of Rantau Panjang shop for essential items at Su-ngai Kolok Municipality Market. At least six petrol stations in Su-ngai Kolok district were closed temporarily due to overwhelming demand for petrol. Authorities also started to release excessive water from Bang Lang Dam which would later affected riverside communities on the banks of Pattani River in Bannang Sata and Krong Pinang District.[59][60]

Response

 Indonesia — Some Indonesian agencies prepared shelters in the affected districts, including at police and military headquarters and houses of worship.[22] About 400 volunteers were mobilised to distribute aid and the Indonesian Military (TNI) boosted its personnel numbers.[11]

 Malaysia — The Malaysian government mobilised all available assets to help in flood rescue operations, the number of rescue team members was increased, and $14 million was allocated to manage relief centres.[61][62][63] An additional $142 million in funding was announced.[64][65] Various non-governmental organisations have contributed their assistance.[66]

 Thailand — Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed related officials to quickly provide aid to victims in the southern floods.[67] Following the instruction, soldiers in Thailand have started distributing fresh water to flood victims and stopping cars from entering flooded roads.[47] Deputy Minister of Interior Suthee Markboon has assigned the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office in each province to urgently deliver assistance to people affected by flooding, survey the damages and expedite a recovery plan.[4] The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has cooperated with the military and other units related to flood relief in each province to install water pumps and assess damages caused by floods.[4]

 Sri Lanka — More than 7,000 army personnel been deployed to flood-affected areas for rescue and relief operations.[68]

Controversies

Some victims in Malaysia have accused the government of being slow to provide assistance.[40][63] As Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was away, his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, was in charge for the flood crisis.[69] However, the Prime Minister later ended his vacation amidst criticism from the public when he was seen playing golf with Barack Obama in Hawaii, United States.[70] Najib stressed that the golf game was necessary in establishing diplomatic ties with the United States and the event has been planned much earlier even before the flood started.[71] Rescue missions have been difficult, due to uncertain weather conditions and some residents' refusal to evacuate.

References

  1. 1 2 Erie Prasetyo (27 December 2014). "Banjir di Tapanuli Tengah Isolir Warga" (in Indonesian). Okezone. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Air Surut, Korban Banjir Aceh Bersihkan Rumah" (in Indonesian). Harian Andalas. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  3. ↑ "Banjir Surut, Warga Lhoksukon Bersih-bersih" (in Indonesian). Atjeh Post. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "Interior Ministry expedites flood relief operations in 8 southern provinces". National News Bureau of Thailand. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "Floods lift in many areas of Pattani; many parts of Yala still facing inundation". National News Bureau of Thailand. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Amaran hujan lebat peringkat jingga di Kelantan, Terengganu" (in Malay). Berita Harian. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  7. 1 2 "One missing, thousands flee homes in flood-hit north-eastern malaysia". The New Age. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Malaysia counts the cost as floods recede". Sky News Australia. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 Adonai (5 January 2015). "1.1 million affected by floods, landslides and high winds, Sri Lanka". The Watchers. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  10. ↑ Bella Dalima (20 December 2014). "Inclement weather wreaks havoc countrywide; thousands displaced". News First. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "About 100,000 people evacuated in Indonesia because of floods". Armenpress. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "At least 24 killed in Malaysia, Thailand floods as 200,000 evacuated". Al Jazeera America. 28 December 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Floods in Sri Lanka kill 39, displace 50,832". Customs Today. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  14. 1 2 FMT (24 December 2014). "Full moon responsible for East Coast flood woes". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  15. ↑ "Government to carry out ‘post-mortem’ on floods". Bernama. The Borneo Post. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  16. 1 2 Rob McElwee (27 December 2014). "What makes the SE Asian rains bad this year?". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  17. 1 2 3 "Record numbers evacuated in Malaysia's worst floods in decades". Reuters. Investing.com. 26 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
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  31. ↑ "Rising flood waters force more people to flee homes in east coast of Semenanjung Malaysia". The Borneo Post. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
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  33. ↑ "Floods ravaging six States worsen, nearly 60,000 evacuated". Bernama. Astro Awani. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  34. 1 2 "Situation continues to worsen in badly-hit Kelantan and Terengganu". The Star. 25 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  35. ↑ "Dozens of tourists stranded by floods in Malaysian national park". Reuters. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  36. ↑ "Kedah latest state hit by floods". The Rakyat Post. 25 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  37. ↑ "Teenage boy first casualty of Perlis floods". Bernama. Astro Awani. 26 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
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  39. ↑ "Malaysia flood waters reach Negeri Sembilan". Bernama. Channel News Asia. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  40. 1 2 "Severe flooding hits southeast Asia". Al Jazeera English. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  41. ↑ "Flood control centres unaware of actual statistics". The Malay Mail. 29 December 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  42. ↑ Aaron Ngui (29 December 2014). "Flood survivor ate one meal of rice a day for five days". The Sun. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  43. ↑ "4 hurt after police heli crashes in Kelantan – Bernama". Bernama. The Malaysian Insider. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  44. ↑ "Peninsula sees floodwaters receding as Sabah prepares for floods". Bernama. Astro Awani. 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  45. 1 2 "Army flood-relief helicopter crashes in Yala". Phuket Gazette. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  46. ↑ "Army grounds aircraft in stormy south". Bangkok Post. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  47. 1 2 "Heavy floods hit 8 districts of Songkhla". Bangkok Post. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  48. ↑ "Update on flood situation in Yala". National News Bureau of Thailand. 25 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  49. ↑ "Flooding eases in the far South". The Nation. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  50. ↑ "Situation continues to worsen in badly-hit Kelantan and Terengganu". Malaysiakini. 29 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  51. ↑ "As floods worsen, Kuala Krai sick get chopper ride to Klang Valley hospitals". The Malay Mail. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  52. ↑ "Dedicated staff at Kuala Krai hospital put flood, family worries aside". The Malaysian Insider. 28 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
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  54. ↑ "IPTA students in flood affected areas allowed to defer semester examination". The Sun Daily. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  55. ↑ "Out-of-state university students flee flood-stricken Kelantan for home". The Malay Mail. 28 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  56. ↑ "Death toll rises to 14 in southern floods". Bangkok Post. 29 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  57. 1 2 3 "Palm Oil, rubber prices surge on southeast asian flooding". Bloomberg. The Economic Times. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  58. ↑ "Kota Baru floods ease but supplies low, services still interrupted". The Malay Mail. 29 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  59. ↑ Ayub Pathan; Abdulloh Benjakat; Waedao Harai (26 December 2014). "Dam discharge floods into Yala, Pattani". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  60. ↑ Waedao Harai (30 December 2014). "Floods force Malaysians here to buy vital supplies". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
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  62. ↑ "Govt to deploy more assets to help flood victims - Muhyiddin". Bernama. Astro Awani. 25 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  63. 1 2 "Malaysia flood: Rescuers struggle; anger mounts". Reuters. Emirates 24/7. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  64. ↑ "Malaysia flooding: PM Najib Razak pledges extra funds". BBC News. 28 December 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  65. ↑ "Malaysia pledges more flood aid for thousands stranded". Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The National. 28 December 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  66. ↑ "NGOs Chip In Their Contribution To Help Flood Victims". Bernama. 24 December 2014. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  67. ↑ "PM instructs officials to look after southern flood victims". National News Bureau of Thailand. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  68. ↑ "Sri Lanka Army Assists Flood Victims". News.lk. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  69. ↑ Hemananthani Sivanandam; Dina Murad (26 December 2014). "Malaysia DPM says he's in charge of flood crisis". The Star/Asia News Network. AsiaOne. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  70. ↑ Jane Onyanga-Omara (26 December 2014). "Malaysian prime minister cuts vacation short over floods". USA Today. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  71. ↑ "Golf game with Obama for diplomatic relations, says Najib". The Star. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.

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