At least four people died last week in flooding caused by days of torrential rain and nearly 40,000 people were forced from their homes in the southern Malaysian state of Johor, which borders Singapore, officials said today.

“We always prepared for the rainy season in November and December,” Mohd Nur Saad, a 57-year-old resident of Yong Peng town, told Reuters. “Every household had a boat but now with the unpredictable weather, it seems we are not prepared and chaos has ensued.”

Authorities have set up more than 200 shelters for those forced to leave their homes due to the floods, the national disaster management authority announced.

Flooding in Malaysia is a common occurrence during the annual monsoon season between October and March, but this week’s downpours have prompted many residents in Johor to seek shelter in safer places.

Although Johor was hardest hit, flooding also occurred in other states, with hundreds of people fleeing their homes. The meteorological service also warned of new rains in the coming days, mainly in the southern states of the country.