Flash floods wreak havoc in PJ

Thursday, 25 Jan 2018

PETALING JAYA: Evening downpours caused flash floods in several parts of Petaling Jaya,
Gombak and Sungai Buloh, submerging houses and cars.

A spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Department said they received a call at around 4.30pm
yesterday about flooding along Persiaran Surian near the Palm Springs junction.

“Traffic was at a standstill there with several vehicles partially submerged,” said the spokesman.

“We also received information that in Gombak, six houses were submerged after Sg Kuang burst
its banks at around 6pm.

A check by The Star revealed that traffic was backed up along Jalan Kuala Selangor-Kepong near
Sungai Buloh due to flash flooding there.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Zani Che Din said six vehicles were caught in the flash
flood along Persiaran Surian.

Rising water: Flooding along Persiaran Surian near the Palm Springs junction in Kota Damansara.

“No casualties were reported and the water receded by 7pm,” he said.

Jalan Tropicana 1/1 resident Yusri Abu Basar said it normally took him 10 to 15 minutes to get
home from his office.

“This time round, I was stuck in Persiaran Surian for about 45 minutes.

“I decided to turn off into Bandar Utama to wait out the jam and monitor the neighbourhood chat
groups.

“Someone mentioned that the Fire and Rescue Department had already pumped out the water and
that the flash flood was over,” he said.

But there was still a traffic crawl, Yusri said, since an accident had just occurred along the main
road and an ambulance was rushing to the scene.

“Many of the neighbours decided to turn back and find other routes home. Some decided to wait at
their offices,” he added.

Elvira Tayo, a Filipina employed here, said a neighbour who was driving her home managed to
make a U-turn before they got stuck in the traffic crawl.

“We managed to find another route home through quieter residential roads.

“I was worried that the floodwaters might get into the engine and stall the vehicle, even though we
were in a big van,” she said.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Department said the waters rose to around
half a metre at the IOI Puchong business centre at around 6pm.

“No injuries were reported and no rescues were conducted in the area.

“We believe the drainage could not accommodate the amount of rainfall that occurred within that
short span of time,” he said.