2021–2022 Malaysian floods

Natural disaster in Malaysia

2021–22 Malaysia floods
Part of the 2021 Pacific typhoon season
Flooding at Klang
Native name Banjir Malaysia 2021–2022
Date16 December 2021 – 19 January 2022
(1 month and 3 days)
LocationSelangor (notably Klang, Petaling and Hulu Langat District), Kuala Lumpur, Pahang and Perak; Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Kelantan and Terengganu (limited)
Sabah (from 30 December onwards)
Also known asDecember 2021 Central Malaysian floods, Peninsula Malaysia floods, Shah Alam floods
TypeFlood
Cause
Outcome
  • Heavy flooding at four Malaysian states, minor flooding at four other states
  • Storm surges in Pahang[1]
  • Looting reported[2]
Deaths54[3][4]
Non-fatal injuriesUnknown
Missing2[3]
Property damageRM5.3 - 6.5 billion (US$1.27 - 1.55 billion, government estimations)[5]
RM20 billion (US$4.77 billion, unofficial estimations)[6]
Displaced71,000 (concurrent)[7][8]
125,490 (cumulative)[9]
Notes: Death toll may rise due to missing victims.

On 16 December 2021, a tropical depression made landfall on the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, bringing torrential downpours throughout the peninsula for three days. The resulting floods affected eight states across the peninsula, and left at least 54 dead and 2 missing.[3][4] During its furthest extent, it caused the concurrent displacement of more than 71,000 residents,[7] and have affected over 125,000 people overall.[9]

Declared by government officials as a "once in a century" disaster,[10] it is the worst flood in the country in terms of displaced residents since the 2014–2015 Malaysia floods.[11][12][13] It has also been historically compared with the 1971 Kuala Lumpur floods.[14] It is the deadliest tropical cyclone-related disaster to hit Malaysia since Tropical Storm Greg of 1996, which killed 238 people and left 102 more missing.[15]

Record-high precipitations were measured at weather stations at Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.[16] Widespread damages were reported in the states of Selangor and Pahang, especially the district of Hulu Langat and the city of Shah Alam. The Malaysian government has suffered criticism over its delayed response and apathy towards the disaster.[17] Scientists, climate activists, and the media have largely made connections of this disaster as an example of extreme weather attributed to climate change.[18]

Weather events

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
circle Tropical cyclone
square Subtropical cyclone
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression