KOTA KINABALU: Residents displaced by recent floods in three districts have begun returning home as temporary evacuation centres (PPS) close, following improved weather conditions and receding floodwaters.

All eight shelters in Kota Marudu were the first to shut at 10am on Feb 1 after assessments confirmed that water levels had fully receded and affected homes were safe for occupancy, said Kota Marudu district officer Meirin Sugara.

“Considering the favourable weather conditions and safe water levels, we declare all PPS closed, and affected residents can now return home,” she said in a statement.

The Kota Marudu district disaster management committee chairman added that the Disaster Operations Commander has been directed to coordinate personnel, assets and logistics to facilitate the return of evacuees.

“I also request agencies on the ground to assess whether integrated post-disaster recovery activities are necessary,” she said.

Kota Marudu was the hardest-hit district, with 2,360 evacuees from 866 families seeking shelter at eight centres.

Apart from Kota Marudu, Kota Belud and Telupid have also closed their evacuation centres at about 1pm, according to the districts’ officers.

Besides the three districts, continuous heavy rain earlier this week had also affected Pitas, Beluran, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Beaufort, Tongod and Paitan, according to the Disaster Info Portal of the Social Welfare Department.

According to a statement by the Beaufort district disaster management committee, the flood situation in Beaufort and surrounding districts is improving, with water levels gradually receding in most affected areas.

However, several roads remain accessible only to heavy vehicles and two schools are still impacted by flooding, the committee said.

Heavy rainfall since Jan 24 caused the Padas river to swell, triggering floods across multiple villages in the Keningau Zone (Tenom, Nabawan, Keningau and Sook) and the Beaufort Zone (Beaufort and Sipitang).

As of yesterday morning, the Civil Defence Force has confirmed that water levels in several villages had receded or were showing a downward trend, the committee said.

Villages where waters have fully receded include Kg Batu 60, Kg Binunuk, Kg Balibata, Kg Bakalau, and Kg Lago, while waters in Kg Suasa remain stable.