Storm triggers flood chaos

Bottleneck: Traffic inching through rising floodwaters near the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang.

PETALING JAYA: Thunderstorms wreaked havoc in several locations in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, causing flash floods that led to traffic snarl-ups.

Strong winds and downpours were reported yesterday near the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang with flood levels rising up to thigh-high.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Mohd Sani Harul said the flash floods occurred between 4pm and 5pm.

“It resulted in traffic slowing to a crawl for several hours, especially near the exit to the New Klang Valley Expressway,” he said.

Several motorists took to Twitter to vent their frustrations.

User @adrianashrmaine tweeted: “Subang airport to Glenmarie takes two hours.”

Another user, Khairun Nisa Ismail speaking as @putrikulon, bristled: “Shah Alam to Subang to Sungai Buloh. It took two hours. Omg terok giler traffic (traffic is horrible).”

Mohd Sani said a motorcycle lane along the Federal Highway near Subang Jaya was also flooded between 4.30pm and 5.30pm.

“The flood was about a metre-deep in the low-lying area. Sungai Damansara also burst its banks there,” he added.

Meanwhile, stagnant water and poor drainage in Jalan Cheras heading to Kuala Lumpur caused a flash flood at 6.10pm. A Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department spokesman also cited the mass rapid transit (MRT) construction as a contributing factor to the situation.

Separately, a team of firefighters removed a wall that collapsed at SK Taman Seri Rampai in Kuala Lumpur.

The spokesman said the wall had collapsed last month and needed to be removed to prevent schoolchildren from falling into a drain.