FLOODS in east coast states are easing, with a decrease in the number of evacuees in Kelantan and Terengganu compared with the previous day.

The Welfare Department’s Info Bencana portal showed that the number of evacuees in Kelantan fell to 573 people from 178 families yesterday afternoon from 882 people from 267 families at 19 centres earlier.

Tanah Merah, the worst-hit district, had the most evacuees at 571 people from 177 families at 6pm.

In Kuala Krai, only two flood victims from one family remained at one relief centre.

Despite the fall in evacuees, the water level of Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang rose to 10.23m yesterday afternoon, which was 1.23m above the 9m danger level. This was an increase from 9.11m at 7.30am.

The river’s water level was rising due to continuous heavy rain since Sunday.

In Terengganu, the number of evacuees fell from 238 people yesterday afternoon to 43 people from 11 families in the evening, involving two relief centres in Besut.

The Terengganu Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said there was an increase in flood victims earlier in the day as rivers had overflowed due to heavy rainfall.

In Johor, Kota Tinggi recorded 13 flood victims from four families at one relief centre.

On Sunday, heavy rain lasting more than two hours caused flash floods that hit 11 houses in Kampung Melayu Bukit Nyamuk and Kampung Sumber Jaya.

Eight families were evacuated to a flood relief centre in Kampung Bukit Nyamuk, which was activated at 8.40pm.

Johor Disaster Management Committee chairman Tan Sri Dr Azmi Rohani said the district’s Civil Defence Force was alerted to the rising floodwaters by a village chief at 7.30pm.

In Sabah, only one relief centre in Semporna remains open, housing 71 evacuees from 12 families.