User:SpLoT/Floods

The 2006-07 Southeast Asian floods were a series of floods that hit Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The floods were due to having a higher than average rainfall in the affected areas, which was attributed to Typhoon Utor which had hit the Philippines and Vietnam a few days earlier. The floods were during the festive season of Christmas and New Year's Day, with places in southern Malaysia, being worst hit. During the week starting on December 18 2006, a series of floods hit the Peninsular Malaysian states of Johor, Malacca, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan as well as Singapore. Later, the Sumatra island as well as Aceh in Indonesia was badly hit as well.

In Singapore the 24-hour rainfall recorded on December 19 was 366 mm, the third highest recorded rainfall in 75 years. There was a heavy rain during that two weeks, with rain occurring almost every day.

Later that week, beginning December 22, North Sumatra and Aceh experienced abnormal rainfall which also caused flooding

History
Typhoon Utor was blamed for heavy rains of up to 350 mm within 24 hours in southern Peninsular Malaysia, specifically Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Pahang, causing massive floods within the southern region on December 18 2006, which was considered as the worst in the Malaysian southern region history. However, there were also reports a few days earlier that adverse weather was not to be blamed on the typhoon. The worst-affected areas were Segamat and Kota Tinggi, where both towns were totally inaccessible by land after all main roads leading to those towns were all flooded. Until January 4 2007, the floods had claimed 15 lives. Heavy rains are excepted in Penang, Perak, Kelantan and other states in the northern region at this period.

The amount of rainfall in Johor Bahru on December 19 was a record high of 289mm of rainfall recorded on that day with the annual rainfall of the city alone is 2400mm.

Peninsular Malaysia
The flooding began when torrential downpours since Sunday caused rivers and dams to overflow. Weather officials described the flooding as the worst in the area in a century. At least six people died.

Sumatra
The floods hit areas such as Northern Sumatra and Aceh leaving many homeless and the floods last for a week starting on December 22. An estimated 400,000 people were displaced at the peak of the flooding and at least 118 people dead with 155 people missing as of December 29, 2006. There are fears fresh flooding could occur in Malaysia.