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Supporting video that iIlustrate the situation of flooding

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Supporting video that iIlustrate the situation of flooding

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AWANI - Pahang: Pahang sedia hadapi bencana banjir

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Factors of flood

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B-Air Blowers, Air Movers & Dehumidifiers | Commercial Equipment

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Flooding is experienced all over the globe and for a variety of reasons - but why exactly does flooding occur? There are several human causes of flooding, including poorly designed infrastructure. There are also natural reasons flooding happens.

Here are eight of the most common causes of flooding, both natural and human-induced:

1. Heavy Rains

The simplest explanation for flooding is heavy rains. No matter where you live, you are surrounded by infrastructure and systems designed to move rainwater into appropriate basins and reservoirs. In most cases, the infrastructure does its job, and you never have to think about where the rain goes when it runs off.

When it rains heavily, however, those systems are overwhelmed, and that water doesn't drain nearly as quickly as it needs to. In short, the drainage systems back up, and the water rises - sometimes into homes. This typically happens only in cases of sustained heavy rains over a long period.

2. Overflowing Rivers

You do not necessarily need to have heavy rains to experience flooding in your area. For example, if you live along a river and areas upstream from you experience heavy rains, it could lead to a serious overflow where you live. Most larger rivers include a series of dams to help manage large amounts of rainfall, and most river systems are managed by government authorities.

Sometimes, however, those authorities have to make tough decisions about how to operate dams. They often can manage the water and prevent flooding altogether - but not always.

3. Broken Dams

Much of America's infrastructure was built in the 20th century, so it is getting old. When heavy rains come, and water levels rise, aging dams can fail and unleash torrents of water on unsuspecting households.

This is part of what happened after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Levees failed and made the flooding far worse than it would have been otherwise. While we have come to depend on 20th-century architecture, and much of it does its job well, there is always a possibility that a structure will fail.

4. Urban Drainage Basins

Many of our cities are made of mostly concrete and other impermeable material. When you have an urban drainage basin that is made of concrete, there is no ground for water to sink into. So, when those drainage basins fill up, it is going to mean flooding for low-lying areas.

This is mostly the case in large urban areas - think Houston and Los Angeles. When heavy rains strike, the basins used to drain them cannot always handle the load.

5. Storm Surges and Tsunamis

Rain is not always the culprit when it comes to flooding. Storm surges related to hurricanes and other storms can lead to significant flooding, as can tsunamis that are sometimes caused by underwater earthquakes.

Given modern technology, we often know about storm surges and tsunamis before they arrive, but this is not always the case. For example, in 2004, an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia created a tsunami that gave little warning before coming ashore.

6. Channels with Steep Sides

Flooding often occurs when there is fast runoff into lakes, rivers and other reservoirs. This is often the case with rivers and other channels that feature steep sides. It is a similar issue to having a lack of vegetation, which is explained in more detail below.

7. A Lack of Vegetation

Vegetation can help slow runoff and prevent flooding. When there is a lack of vegetation, however, there is little to stop water from running off. This can be a bit of a conundrum after a drought.

While area residents likely welcome the rain, the lack of vegetation after the drought can cause flash flooding. This does not always happen given that basins and reservoirs are close to empty, but it can occur in cases of extreme rains following long periods of drought.

8. Melting Snow and Ice

A winter of heavy snow and other precipitation can lead to a spring of flooding. After all, that snow and ice have to go somewhere when they melt. Most mountainous areas experience relatively consistent snowfall totals from year to year, but an unusually heavy winter of precipitation can spell bad news for low-lying areas around the mountains when spring hits.

The good news is that sustained winter precipitation provides a long lead time to prepare for potential flooding. That is a silver lining at the very least.

These are just a few examples of common causes of floods, but there does not need to be an incredible weather event for you to experience flooding at your home. You can experience devastating flooding simply due to a clogged or broken pipe as well as other plumbing issues. No matter how or why you experience a flood, you need a qualified water restoration professional with quality tools to help you get your home back into working order again.

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What Causes Floods? | The 8 Most Common Causes of Flooding

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Flooding is experienced all over the globe and for a variety of reasons - Both man made and natural. Learn more about the Common Causes of Flooding here!

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(The Sun Daily) - A hydrologist and irrigation engineer has attributed the massive flooding in the east coast to five man-made and natural causes.

They are - unusually heavy rainfall in the water catchment areas upstream; the low water-holding capacity of the lower Sungai Kelantan; excessive logging and land-clearing; sediment build-up of rivers; and the large amount of mud and debris carried by the flood water, adding to its volume.

Chong Sun-Fatt, the principal adviser at G&P Water and Maritime, which is involved in designing numerous flood mitigation projects, told Sin Chew Daily in an interview published today that the main natural cause is the unusually large amount of rain dumped over large catchment areas upstream of Sungai Kelantan over an extended period, whereas the key man-made factor is the extensive land-clearing at these catchment areas, resulting in serious erosion and swift draining of water.

"Kelantan and Pahang were the hardest-hit states. This was because the rainfall was concentrated at the catchment areas in the upper reaches of Sungai Kelantan, such as Gua Musang and Gunang Gagau, and the upper reaches of Sungai Pahang, such as the Taman Negara National Park. Prior to this, the rain brought by northeast monsoon was concentrated in the lower areas of these two river basins," he said.

The report said the highest rainfall was recorded in Gunang Gagau - 624mm during the first wave of torrential rain from Dec 15 to 19 and 1,395mm during the second wave from Dec 20 to 24.

The rainfall, the highest in 40 years during the first wave, and the highest in 1,000 years during the second wave, far exceeded the capacity that the current mitigation measures are designed to cope with.

He said Sungai Kelantan basin, which is shaped like a triangle, also made the lower regions of the basin such as Tanah Merah and Kota Baru flood prone.

Chong also pointed out that compared with logging activities, excessive land-clearing for crops is the main cause of the environmental problem.

"This is because a whole swath of land is cleared in the case of crop cultivation, leaving no trees at all, whereas trees are felled selectively at logging areas."

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Engineer Identifies 5 Causes Of Massive Floods

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(The Sun Daily) - A hydrologist and irrigation engineer has attributed the massive flooding in the east coast to five man-made and natural causes. They are - unusually heavy rainfall in the water catchment areas upstream; the low water-holding capacity of the lower Sungai Kelantan; excessive logg

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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's annual northeast monsoon has claimed two lives in Pahang and forced nearly 12,000 people to be evacuated from their homes nationwide.

A teenager who fell into knee-deep floodwaters in Kuantan on Thursday (Jan 4) after he was believed to have suffered a seizure became the second victim to die in the floods in Pahang, reported national news agency Bernama.

Pahang police chief Rosli Ab Rahman said the body of Muhammad Al Asyraf Danial Mohd Al Asadi, 17, was found at about 1am. He said the victim was understood to have visited his friend's house and had decided to walk back to his home nearby.

"At that juncture, he was believed to have suffered a seizure, causing him to fall (into the water). However, no one knew of the incident until the villagers discovered his body," said Datuk Seri Rosli.

Muhammad Faris Aqeel Mohd Afif, 7, was the state's first flood casualty this year after his body was found in a ditch in Sungai Lembing on Wednesday. He was playing nearby and had fallen in.

Malaysia's disaster management agency said as at Thursday night, there were 11,991 flood victims sheltering at relief centres in Johor, Terengganu, Pahang and Sabah. It noted however that the severe weather warnings and alerts had ceased in all four states.

Pahang remained the worst-hit state with the number of flood evacuees at 9,366 as at noon Friday, from the districts of Kuantan, Rompin, Pekan, Jerantut, Lipis and Bera.

Twenty three schools in Pahang stayed closed on Friday from the floods, affecting 5,002 students and 490 teachers.

Meanwhile the situation in east coast state Terengganu took a turn for the worse on Friday morning (Jan 5), after a huge incoming high tide prevented surging river water from flowing into the sea.

Terengganu Civil Defence Force director Che Adam A Rahman told Bernama that even though the rains had stopped, the floodwaters could not recede because of the tide.

"This caused many low-lying areas in Chukai to be inundated early this morning and currently there are 2,159 flood evacuees from 541 families in two districts, Kemaman and Dungun, as at 8am compared to 1,364 people from 340 families last night.

"Two more evacuation centres were opened in Kemaman to accommodate the additional flood victims, making a total of 17 relief centres in operation in Terengganu," he said.

Overnight rain caused floods in Penang state - both the island and mainland - early Friday morning, The Star reported, with one temporary relief centre opened in Bukit Mertajam to house a family of five.

Flash floods were recorded in several areas on Penang island, said a spokesman from the Fire and Rescue Department, including in Kampung Masjid, Kampung Rawa, Jalan P. Ramlee, Lintang P. Ramlee, Kampung Makam and Jalan Kuantan.

"The flooding is due to the continuous downpour as well as the fact that the drains in these places have not been able to accommodate the water flow," he said. He added that the Sungai Pinang river was at warning level.

The situation in Johor continued to improve, with only 262 evacuees staying at five relief centres in Mersing and Segamat as at Friday morning.

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Two dead, nearly 12,000 evacuated in Malaysia floods

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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's annual northeast monsoon has claimed two lives in Pahang and forced nearly 12,000 people to be evacuated from their homes nationwide.. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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The UK must "improve our flood warning systems", giving people more time to take action during flooding, potentially saving lives, the deputy chief executive of the Environment Agency, David Rooke, said. Advance warning and pre-planning can significantly reduce the impact from flooding.

2. Modify homes and businesses to help them withstand floods

The focus should be on "flood resilience" rather than defence schemes, according to Laurence Waterhouse, director of civil engineering flood consultancy Pell Frischmann. He advised concreting floors and replacing materials such as MDF and plasterboard with more robust alternatives. "We are going to have to live with flooding. It's here to stay," Mr Waterhouse said. "We need to be prepared." His recommendations were echoed by Mr Rooke, who suggested waterproofing homes and businesses and moving electric sockets higher up the walls to increase resilience.

3. Construct buildings above flood levels

Britain should construct all new buildings one metre from the ground to prevent flood damage, the former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers has suggested. Professor David Balmforth, who specialises in flood risk management, said conventional defences had to be supplemented with more innovative methods to lower the risk of future disasters.

4. Tackle climate change

Climate change has contributed to a rise in extreme weather events, scientists believe. Earlier this month the leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett, welcomed the landmark Paris Agreement, whereby governments from 195 countries pledged to "pursue efforts" to limit the increase in global average temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. "It is now crucial that world leaders deliver on the promise of Paris," Ms Bennett said. "The pressure is now on the British government to reverse its disastrous environmental policy-making."

5. Increase spending on flood defences

Figures produced by the House of Commons library suggest that real terms spending on flood defences has fallen by 20 per cent since David Cameron came to power. Yesterday [MON] the Prime Minister rejected this allegation, insisting the amount being spent had risen. Mr Cameron promised to review spending on flood defences after chairing a conference call of the government's emergency Cobra committee at the weekend.

6. Protect wetlands and introduce plant trees strategically

The creation of more wetlands - which can act as sponges, soaking up moisture - and wooded areas can slow down waters when rivers overflow. These areas are often destroyed to make room for agriculture and development, the WWF said. Halting deforestation and wetland drainage, reforesting upstream areas and restoring damaged wetlands could significantly reduce the impact of climate change on flooding, according to the conservation charity.

7. Restore rivers to their natural courses

Many river channels have been historically straightened to improve navigability. Remeandering straightened rivers by introducing their bends once more increases their length and can delay the flood flow and reduce the impact of the flooding downstream.

8. Introduce water storage areas

Following the severe flooding of 2009 a £5.6 million flood alleviation scheme was established in Thacka Beck, on the outskirts of Penrith, Cumbria. More than 675 metres of culverts underneath the streets of Penrith were replaced and a 76,000m³ flood storage reservoir - the equivalent of 30 Olympic sized swimming pools - was constructed upstream to hold back flood water. The risk of flooding from the beck was reduced from a 20 per cent chance in any given year to a one per cent chance, according to Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

9. Improve soil conditions

Inappropriate soil management, machinery and animal hooves can cause soil to become compacted so that instead of absorbing moisture, holding it and slowly letting it go, water runs off it immediately. Well drained soil can absorb huge quantities of rainwater, preventing it from running into rivers.

10. Put up more flood barriers

The Environment Agency uses a range of temporary or "demountable" defences in at-risk areas. These can be removed completely when waters recede. Temporary barriers can also be added to permanent flood defences, such as raised embankments, increasing the level of protection. "As the threat and frequency of flood risk increases, the use of passive flood defence has to be the only realistic long term solution," Frank Kelly, CEO of UK Flood Barriers claimed earlier this month in Infrastructure Intelligence, a magazine for the infrastructure sector. Mr Kelly's company was responsible for designing a self-activating flood barrier he said had proved to be "invaluable" in protecting properties close to the River Cocker.

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10 measures that must be taken to prevent more flooding in the future

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1. Introduce better flood warning systems The UK must "improve our flood warning systems", giving people more time to take action during flooding, potentially saving lives, the deputy chief executive of the Environment Agency, David Rooke, said. Advance warning and pre-planning can significantly reduce the impact from flooding.

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Supporting Article

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Bomba siap sedia hadapi banjir besar di seluruh negara

BUTTERWORTH - Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) bersiap siaga bagi menghadapi banjir bermula bulan depan berikutan ketibaan musim monsun timur laut.

Ketua Pengarahnya Mohammad Hamdan Wahid berkata kesiapsiagaan JBPM bagi menghadapi banjir dibahagikan kepada tiga peringkat iaitu dari segi logistik, keanggotaan dan aspek respons.

"Persiapan menghadapi banjir ini kami lakukan mengikut cuaca semasa sejajar dengan kehendak kerajaan menerusi Agensi Pengurusan Bencana Negara (Nadma) yang mana telah membuat pelbagai kesiapsiagaan di pelbagai peringkat.

"Selain itu, pihak JBPM juga telah bersiap sedia lebih awal kerana berdasarkan maklumat yang diterima, monsun timur laut kali ini mungkin berlarutan pada hujung tahun hingga awal tahun depan," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Kempen Keselamatan dan Pencegahan Kebakaran sempena sambutan Hari Inovasi JBPM, di sini hari ini.

Katanya pihaknya juga telah mengeluarkan arahan pembekuan cuti terhadap 10,000 pegawai dan anggotanya mengikut keperluan sebagai persiapan menghadapi bencana alam, seperti banjir.

Mohammad Hamdan berkata pembekuan cuti untuk pegawai dan anggota itu khusus di kawasan yang akan mengalami banjir seperti di pantai timur, utara, selatan dan pantai barat membabitkan Kuching, Sibu serta Miri di Sarawak dan pesisiran pantai di Sabah.

Katanya dari segi logistik, pihaknya telah memastikan semua kawasan 'hotspot' yang memang dikenal pasti sebagai lokasi banjir dan mungkin terlibat banjir diberikan perhatian serta penugasan yang lebih.

Beliau berkata semua peralatan dan kelengkapan JBPM yang akan digunakan jika berlaku banjir juga berada dalam siap sedia bagi memastikan sebarang penugasan berjalan lancar.

"Ia termasuk peralatan marin dan peralatan untuk pengangkutan supaya pihak bomba dapat memberikan respons lebih cepat jika berlaku sebarang banjir atau bencana ketika monsun timur laut. Pasukan unit udara JBPM juga telah bersiap sedia.

"Kami percaya kesiapsiagaan ini di tahap yang optima dan sekiranya ada berlaku banjir atau bencana pihak bomba akan memberi respons dalam masa yang cepat manakala negeri-negeri yang tidak terlibat secara langsung (dengan banjir) juga telah bersiap sedia dari segi keanggotaan, peralatan logistik serta respons," katanya. - Bernama.

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Bomba siap sedia hadapi banjir besar di seluruh negara - Utara - Sinar Harian

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Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) bersiap siaga bagi menghadapi banjir bermula bulan depan berikutan ketibaan musim monsun timur laut.

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Pahang minta bantuan kerajaan pusat tangani banjir | Astro Awani

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Kerajaan negeri akan meminta bantuan kerajaan pusat bagi mengendalikan sistem perparitan dan saliran di bandar Kuantan.

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AWANI - Pahang: NADMA kaji guna drone pantau lokasi berisiko banjir