JOHOR BARU: Learning from the first wave of floods that hit several states in Malaysia recently will help minimise the impact of a potential second wave, says an expert.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia disaster preparedness and prevention centre director Dr Khamarrul Azahari Razak said it is important for agencies to be well prepared for the second wave of floods.
“No one expected the damage brought by the first wave of floods to be this large and the scale for the second wave will be unknown until it happens.
“What agencies can do now is to enhance their preparedness by learning what happened during the first wave and learn from it in anticipation of a second wave,” he said in an interview here.Khamarrul also spoke about the importance of agencies collecting all the necessary data from the first wave of floods to see which area they can improve on.
He said that overall, all agencies worked well with one another as they had the experience in dealing with floods but there were some hiccups, especially when it came to evacuating the people in flood-prone areas.
“Currently, some areas in flood-hit states are carrying out post-flood cleaning operation despite the warning of possibly another round of floods as we are still in the monsoon season.
“Agencies including local councils must now make sure that everything, including the drainage system in their areas, is in working order,” he added.
Khamarrul also said that there must be a better warning system in place to keep the people informed, in particular those in flood-prone areas, and to take immediate action.
“There were still some quarters that did not want to leave their homes until floodwaters had hit a dangerous level and this was a problem faced by first responders in evacuating victims.
“It’s not easy for first responders such as firemen and Civil Defence Force personnel to carry out evacuation operations in flooded areas, particularly during night time,” he added.
Khamarrul urged those living in flood-prone areas to always adhere to directives given by security agencies to ensure their own safety during the monsoon season.
He also called on agencies to work closely with NGOs that can render extra assistance during the floods.
