On October 15th, a powerful storm struck Kuala Langat District in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Strong winds and heavy rain swept in from the coast, causing severe damage within minutes to several communities — the villages of Sijangkang and Kampung Medan were hit the hardest.
The headman of one of the villages said the storm began suddenly: the sky had been clear, and he never expected that in just five minutes, the wind would destroy dozens of houses. He admitted that it was the most terrifying disaster the village had faced in the past fifty years.
A Level I natural disaster was officially declared, and a temporary relief center was opened for those affected.
The storm generated a powerful tornado that tore roofs off houses, collapsed walls and fences, twisted metal structures into spirals, and ripped roadside barriers out of the ground. Under the pressure of the wind, trees and power poles were knocked down.
At the primary school, part of the roof collapsed, causing panic among the students: eleven children were injured, two of them seriously. The building was declared unsafe, and one thousand five hundred students were transferred to remote learning.
The office of the local Legislative Assembly coordinator was destroyed. A woman was trapped under the debris; fortunately, rescuers managed to find her quickly, and she was hospitalized with injuries.
In total, more than forty houses, six schools, and a sports hall were damaged, and the industrial area also suffered significant destruction.
Professor Dr. Mohd Ekhwan Toriman, a hydrology and flood-modeling expert from the National University of Malaysia, emphasized that severe storms accompanied by tornadoes are a rare phenomenon in Malaysia. Other experts noted that in recent years, there have been several reports of strong storms or small-scale tornadoes along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
It is important to understand that the increase in natural disasters began decades ago, and we are now witnessing the visible phase of this ongoing process. Therefore, unusual weather phenomena occurring in various regions over the past few years will only continue to grow in frequency and intensity.
To better understand what is happening to our planet, we recommend watching a video address by Dr. Egon Cholakian, who provides an in-depth analysis of the causes, examines the consequences, explains what to expect in the near future, and presents scientific approaches to possible solutions.