Water recedes, cleaning begins
4 VILLAGES: Residents clean up before heavy rain starts again today
IT was a tiring day for Roshida Abdullah, 47, as she has not finished cleaning up the mess in her flood-struck house at Kampung Lubok Kawah here yesterday.
Assisted by her daughter, Nur Hidayah Shahira, 24, Roshida said she had been praying for a flood-free monsoon this season, but it all was in vain because she lived in a lowlying area.
“The water began to rise at 2pm on Tuesday.
“Within 15 minutes, fish were swimming into our living room, which was already filled with half a metre of floodwater.
“We had no time to move our belongings except some small electrical items.”
The village, together with neighbouring Kampung Baru Sarang Lang, Kampung Baru Kiri and Kampung Baru Kanan, are flood-prone, especially during the northeast monsoon.
Ahmad Hairi Ahmad Morni, 27, who is staying at a flood relief centre in SMK Badrul Alam Shah here, said only the kitchen of his stilt house in Kampung Baru Sarang Lang was flooded.
He said he managed to move the gas stove and washing machine from the kitchen to the living room. “We plan to clean the house today. “As heavy rain is expected from Thursday (today) to Saturday, I am not taking any chances and will be cautious over the next few days.”
Breast cancer patient Maisarah A. Wahab, 49, from Kampung Baru Kanan, said she had to postpone her appointment yesterday as she needed to clean the mess with help from her two children.
“I have to move quickly because the flood relief centre will be closed soon.”
Despite the sunny and windy day yesterday, the latest satellite image from the Meteorological Department showed heavy rain would start again today and continue until Saturday.
A department spokesman said bad weather from the South China Sea, bringing a substantial amount of rainfall, was approaching the east coast and northern states.
There are three flood relief centres here that are housing 295 villagers from 72 families.
The other two are at SK Telok Kalong and Balairaya Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung Titian Berayun.
Kemaman district officer Rosman Roslan, who is also district flood disaster management committee chairman, said only the Kemasik and Kijal state constituencies were affected by floods caused by continuous heavy rain on Tuesday.
He said the weather had improved yesterday and floodwaters had subsided in all villages.
“The flood was caused by rainwater accumulating in low-lying areas and had nothing to do with high tide. This explains why the flood waters receded quickly.”