Estimation of losses and damages caused by flash floods in the commercial area of Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia

Flash flood is the most devastating natural disaster experienced in Malaysia. It can be defined as any high water flow caused by various factors such as rainstorms, slow water run-off, and broken dams. In Malaysia, the most typical and disruptive hydro-meteorological occurrences are flash floods, which are mostly faced by Malaysian cities including Kuala Lumpur and Kajang. However, flash floods may occur at any time of the year rather than during monsoon and can result in devastating losses and damages. Thus, several mitigation steps and estimations are warranted to handle flash floods, especially at the city level. Hence, this paper estimated the amount of direct loss and damage due to flash floods on the basis of the commercial area of Kajang City. This empirical study used primary data collected through direct face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 41 businessmen in the study area. The average estimated overall losses and damages per shop were RM4,510.07 due to flash floods at Kajang City in 2014, wherein the significant contribution comes from the economic side. This study’s findings can serve as the baseline information for future studies on flash flood losses and damages. Furthermore, the present study suggests extensive institutional research for estimating losses and damages due to flash floods at the country level as an adaptation strategy.