KUALA TERENGGANU: Cityfolk here briefly went into panic mode when continuous heavy downpour, which began at 8am, swiftly inundated major parts of the city, disrupted traffic, flooded homes and generally brought life to a standstill.
Many were immediately reminded of severe floods which paralysed much of the state from Dec 2013 to Jan 2014, displaced thousands of households and caused millions in damage.
The worst affected districts today were the areas of Taman Sri Intan 1 and 2, Batas Baru, Tok Jembal, Kampung Padang Air and Gong Badak, where water levels rose to as high as 1 metre by 10am.
Major roads became unpassable, including Jalan Sultan Omar, Jalan Kamaruddin and Jalan Batu Burok, with long lines of vehicles stuck until waters began to gradually subside after 1pm when the rain began to die down.
State Civil Defence Department deputy director Amir Sarrafudin Zalman urged people stay calm, as water levels near rivers and along coastal areas had not yet reached alarming levels.
He said the water was receding extremely slowly because of high tide.
"The situation is compounded by several clogged drains in the city. The situation is (still) under control, but we will (continue) monitoring, and will alert the public on the latest flood situation in the state," he said.
Checks showed that some families incurred damage to their property, as the sudden rise in flood waters had caught many by surprise.
Many were not able to save their belongings, as they were either at their workplace, or still sleeping, when waters rose.