(Kuala Lumpur, July 18) Authorities issued fresh warnings today as the ongoing KL flash flood pushed three rivers across four monitoring stations in Selangor past their alert levels, according to Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) data recorded as of 8:15pm.
The affected monitoring points include Sungai Bagan near Kampung Budiman in Petaling Jaya, Sungai Rasau in Klang (at both the Desa Coalfields and Malay Ceramics Monument stations), and Sungai Penchala in Klang's Jalan Sentul area. JPS noted that water levels crossing the alert threshold indicate the situation is approaching flood-critical levels, and urged residents in the affected areas to prepare for possible evacuation.
The rising river levels came as a sudden and heavy downpour battered the Klang Valley this afternoon, triggering severe flash flooding across multiple locations, with Petaling Jaya the hardest hit. Areas including Petaling Jaya, Kelana Jaya and Damansara saw major roads submerged rapidly, with water levels reaching half the height of parked cars. Motorists were forced to slow to a crawl or move their vehicles into indoor car parks, causing significant traffic disruption. The outdoor dining area of Mid Valley Megamall was also flooded, along with nearby Jalan Gasing. Bukit Lanjan in Shah Alam and old Jalan Gasing in Kuala Lumpur reported similar flooding, with flood sirens activated in parts of Shah Alam by evening.
Among the worst-hit locations was the Medan Selera Jaya 223 hawker centre in Petaling Jaya, a known flood hotspot, where water levels reached as high as 2 metres. Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Asrulriza said a report was received at 4:35pm, with 12 firefighters dispatched and arriving roughly 20 minutes later to find the water at its 2-metre peak, though already beginning to recede. No injuries or trapped individuals were reported, and no evacuation was needed. This marks the hawker centre's third flood of the year, following incidents in April and May, with today's flooding the most severe yet.
Separately, a fallen tree incident in Kampung Batu 3, Bandar Sungai Long, saw two trees block a road and a third strike a residential home. Nine firefighters responded at 4:18pm and cleared the debris using chainsaws by 4:45pm, with no casualties reported.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department also issued a weather alert at 4:40pm, forecasting continued thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds over Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya until 7pm, with warnings extended to several Selangor districts and other states including Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan.