Sabah village hit by worst flood in 50 years
Heavy rain leaves homes submerged in waist-high water
KOTA KINABALU: Residents of Kampung Rampayan Laut in Sabah are grappling with the aftermath of the worst flood in over 50 years.
Incessant rain on Saturday evening caused floodwaters to rise rapidly in the village, catching many residents off guard and leaving many homes submerged in waist-high water.
Jalinah Md Jali, 62, said many villagers were unable to save their belongings, unlike in previous flooding incidents.
“During normal floods, the water would usually remain outside and did not enter the house.
“This is because the water has to overcome the front door barrier,” she told Bernama while cleaning mud and removing water from her living room.
“On Saturday, the water reached waist height,” Jalinah added.
She did not have time to save her valuables and her furniture
and electrical items were damaged.
“Initially, everyone thought it would be just a normal flood as the water level was low.
“But the floodwaters rose very fast. I am very sad because I have lived here for over 60 years and have never seen a flood this severe,” she added.
Jalinah lamented that Kampung Rampayan Laut is now better known for frequent flooding than for development.
She said she hoped that local representatives and relevant agencies would find long-term solutions to flooding.
Another victim, Jali Jawi, 52, said the floodwaters came into the village from two different
sources simultaneously.
“The flood was bigger and worse than before. The water came not just from the land but
also from the sea,” he said.
He added that water began rising around 5.30pm and only receded early yesterday morning.
A check by Bernama revealed that floodwaters had receded to ankle level, with most of the area still covered in thick mud, making cleaning difficult.
Damaged furniture and household items carried away by the flood were scattered in front of several houses, while residents were busy removing mud from their homes and drying salvaged items.
According to the Sabah State Disaster Management Committee, the number of flood victims rose from 282 on Saturday to 495 yesterday morning.
The victims are currently sheltered at two relief centres.
In Kota Kinabalu, 180 victims from 46 families are currently housed in a hall at the Al-munir Mosque, while 315 victims from 113 families in Beaufort are being sheltered at the Selagon Evacuation Centre.