Floods hit 27 homes in four Kubang Pasu villages

 

Some homes in two villages remain flooded as water levels recede elsewhere. NSTP/ZULIATY ZULKIFFLI

CHANGLUN: Continuous heavy rain yesterday flooded 27 houses in four villages in Kubang Pasu, with several homes still under water at noon today.

Kubang Pasu Civil Defence Force officer Mohd Adenin Suhaimi said that as of 11.25am, eight houses each in Kampung Changkat Sentol and Kampung Belukar were affected, along with six in Kampung Sungai Petani and five in Kampung Padang, according to BuletinTV3.

"However, no temporary evacuation centre has been opened so far. All affected heads of households have left and are staying at homestays or with relatives nearby," he said in a statement.

Roads temporarily closed this morning were understood to have reopened after the water receded, while most residents had begun cleaning their homes.

A check at 1pm found several houses in Kampung Sungai Petani and Kampung Belukar remained flooded despite water levels in surrounding areas subsiding.

The houses are located lower than the road, causing water to remain trapped inside, with levels in some homes reaching calf height.

For Kampung Belukar resident Aishah Ahmad, 78, flooding has been an annual ordeal throughout her 60 years living in the area.

She said just a day of heavy rain was enough to send water into her home, making it difficult to deal with the aftermath.

"I have lived here for 60 years, and every year the water rises here. Heavy rain for just about a day and it floods immediately.

"I am tired. When this happens, I can't do anything. I have no energy. Water entered my house up to two steps high," she said when met at Kampung Belukar today.

Another resident, Mohammad Irsyadi Darus, 37, said the water rose to knee level before receding within about an hour.

He said past experience had taught residents to stay prepared by moving their belongings to higher ground to minimise losses should the water return.

"The water rose to knee level but within an hour it had receded. Usually, if there is heavy rain for two to three hours, the water will rise, which is why we are cautious.

"Even now, we have placed our belongings in high places, afraid a second wave of floods will come," he said.

Civil Defence Force monitoring showed water levels at Sungai Batu 15 Sintok, Sungai Sintok, Sungai Badak and Sungai Tok Kassim were on a downward trend. - NST