A heavy rainstorm and strong winds in Johor Bahru on Feb 14 led to flash floods and a tree falling on a street near the city centre, damaging up to 15 cars and two shops, local authorities said.
A tree fell in front of a shophouse in Taman Pelangi at around 4.45pm, hitting multiple cars and blocking traffic on the normally busy Jalan Kuning street, said Johor Bahru’s Southern District police.
The police assisted with traffic control while the fire department, assisted by city council officials, cut and cleared the Angsana tree, said a Johor Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson, cited by local media.
He added that no injuries were reported, but two business premises and 15 cars were damaged by the fallen tree after heavy rains poured for around an hour.
Business on the restaurant-filled street was not completely disrupted, however.
One local who dined at a Japanese restaurant there said it was an incident-filled Valentine’s Day for her, with flooding and falling plants everywhere she and her companion went.
Multiple fallen trees were also reported along Jalan Pantai Lido towards Skudai, Johor police said, disrupting traffic as the branches had fallen along all three lanes of the road.
Flash floods were reported elsewhere in Johor Bahru.
Motorists shared images of rising water levels on Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, an inner ring road leading to the Sultan Iskandar Building checkpoint, as well as Taman Abad near popular mall KSL City. Cars were seen submerged as they approached the deeper ends of the roads.
Malaysia’s Meteorological Department had issued a warning on Feb 14 that thunderstorms with heavy rain and strong winds were expected in various parts of the country, including Johor Bahru.
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