Maps and safe ground

Know three ways out before you need one. Your navigation app will happily route you through a flooded underpass. It has never been wet. You have.

Where the real information is

Public Info Banjir (JPS)

River levels and rainfall stations near you, in real time. publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my

Portal Bencana (NADMA)

Current disasters, which relief centres (PPS) are open, and a way to check if relatives have registered at one.

InfoBencana (JKM)

The welfare department’s list of activated relief centres by state and district.

MetMalaysia, myCuaca app

Heavy rain, thunderstorm and monsoon warnings. Turn the notifications on.

APIMS (Department of Environment)

Air quality readings for the haze. The only API number that counts.

Offline maps

Download your state in Google Maps, and install Organic Maps as a backup. Plus a paper map in the car.

Our rally points

Fill these in. They save on this device only. Then walk each route once, in daylight, with the kids.

R1, walking distance 10 minutes on foot. A landmark the kids can find alone. R2, high ground Under an hour on foot, above the worst flood line. R3, out of the area Family or friends in another town or state. Nearest relief centre (PPS) Check Portal Bencana; it’s usually a school or a dewan. Hospital with an emergency department Government or private, whichever is reachable when roads flood. Two routes to R3 One of them should not be the highway.

Good places, bad places

Go towards

Higher ground. Multi-storey car parks (for the car, not for you). Schools and halls gazetted as PPS. Upper floors of solid concrete buildings. Places with people who know you.

Stay away from

Underpasses, riverbanks and monsoon drains. Steep slopes and retaining walls after heavy rain. Crowds, protests and anything “just to see”. Petrol stations during a panic.

Illustrative. R1 is close, R2 is high, R3 is far. Contour lines mean higher ground, which means fewer bad days.

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