SANDAKAN: The Civil Defence Force (APM) has been ready since Tuesday (March 8) to face any possibility following the continuous rain forecast until Thursday (March 10), especially in the Sandakan, Kinabatangan and Beluran districts.
Sandakan APM officer Captain Abdullah Sabaruddin said his team together with the District Disaster Management Committee and other departments and rescue agencies had started monitoring several areas identified as flood-prone sites, including the Beluran district.
"The areas identified in our monitoring which have the potential to experience a sudden rise in water level are Mamanjang, which is the area between Sandakan and Beluran districts and Gum-Gum in Sandakan.
"We are also monitoring settlements near water sources such as rivers and the sea because apart from the threat of floods, we are also worried about the threat of storms during continuous rains," he said when contacted by Bernama here on Wednesday (March 8).
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) at 12.30pm on Tuesday said a bad level forecast for continuous heavy rain until Thursday in Sabah involved Sandakan (Telupid, Kinabatangan, Beluran and Sandakan) and Kudat areas.
Abdullah said his team had always ensured the preparedness of all equipment, especially vehicles and boats to facilitate mobilising the affected residents.
Meanwhile in Kinabatangan, district APM officer Captain Ahmad Roslan Mohd Kamel said although the district was also forecast to have continuous rain, the District Disaster Operations Control Centre (PKOB) had concluded that the current cloudy weather in Kinabatangan and occasional drizzle would not impact the possibility of floods.
"Despite this, the monitoring team involving APM, Fire and Rescue Department and Rela are always vigilant and ready to face any eventuality," he said.
He said the monitoring team had been activated following the weather forecast and identified three flood potential areas, namely Jalan Cangkul Buang Sayang, Pangkalan Bukit Garam and Kampung Sungai Lokan.
Sabah APM director Col (PA) Sharudin Md Zain said to face the continuous rain situation, all relevant agencies had been informed, especially the Royal Malaysia Police and the Fire and Rescue Department to be in the field.
"All agencies have been informed to monitor 'hotspot' areas in their respective districts, all disaster operations control centres have also been instructed to activate the reporting system," he said. - BERNAMA
