MANJUNG: Access to Kampung Bagan Panchor here was partly blocked as water rose due to the high-tide phenomenon today.
About 3 kilometres of the village road was inundated with water, and flooding was exacerbated by a downpour since midnight.
Manjung district Drainage and Irrigation Department engineer M. Sasitharan said the water level started rising at 1.30am and reached 3.4 metres, but began receding at about 5am.
"The situation is still under control, as the water did not reach housing areas. The sandbags placed in high-risk areas also helped prevent water from spilling over,” he said.
In Parit Buntar, about 20 houses at Kuala Bagan Tiang were inundated with water after a downpour since 1.30am yesterday.
The water rose to 0.35 meters, but started to recede at 4am.
Resident Mohd Nizam Jamaluddin, 44, said the water rose in less than an hour during the downpour, causing villagers and the authorities stationed in the area to go on alert for the possibility of flooding.
In Taman Kuala Sepetang, the water rose ankle-high and flooded some 30 houses.
Villager Lee Kang Chai, 70, said the housing area frequently experiences such conditions due to the high-tide phenomenon, as it is located merely 500 metres from Sungai Kapal Changkol.
He said some residents had installed steel barricades around their house compounds and in front of doors.
"The water level started rising since 4.30am due to non-stop rain, but we had expected it to recede quickly," Lee said.
Mohd Tahir from Kampung Menteri said he is grateful for the assistance by the Larut Matang and Selama District Offices, which had distributed sandbags as additional measures to prevent water from spilling over to the village area.
"The Civil Defence Department and Kolej Komuniti had set up the sand bund earlier. If not for that, the village could have been flooded like what happened last month (due to the high-tide).
"But we might need to add more sandbags if the water level gets higher," said Tahir.
Additional reporting by and FARAH SUHAIDAH OTHMAN.