Storm damages 100 houses at Felda, Dungun

Residents run out of homes after winds rip off roofs and cause dozens of trees to fall.

DUNGUN: A storm wreaked havoc in Felda Jerangau here yesterday, damaging about 100 houses and uprooting dozens of trees.

In the incuident about 4pm, the roofs of several houses were ripped off while trees crashed onto homes.

Two village nurseries, a car and a lorry were not spared by the storm either.

One of the residents, Shamsiah Ibrahim, found a tea session with her children and grandchildren cut short when the roof of the family home was ripped off due to the downpour, coupled with strong winds which began to pound the village.

“We were forced to seek shelter in the toilet as the house roof was no more.

“We only left the toilet when the storm subsided,” said the grandmother, who also watched two village nurseries, car and a lorry damaged by falling trees.

Shamsiah, 55, said she was grateful to God that her daughter, Nur Eliyanie Ibrahim, 20, who had given birth four days ago, managed to run out of the house just seconds before a tree crashed into her bedroom.

“I shudder to think what might have happened if she was just a few seconds slower. Anyway, the storm was over in less than 10 minutes.”

Another resident, Habsah Mariam, 66, said her preparations for Hari Raya Aidiladha today were ruined when her house roof tiles were damaged in the incident.

“I was at the shop to buy some provisions for Hari Raya dishes when my granddaughter informed me via the mobile phone that a storm had badly damaged our house.

“The entire house was flooded with rainwater… clothes and mattresses were drenched. Tonight, we have to sleep under the open sky,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dungun parliamentary development officer Din Adam, who visited the site after the incident, said his office and the Terengganu Region Felda office, as well as the Bukit Besi state assemblyman’s office would repair the damaged houses of Felda Jerangau residents.

Present during the visit was Terengganu Region Felda General Manager Mohd Saidiee Salleh.