KOTA TINGGI: Villagers of Kampung Felda Air Tawar 1 have been caught by surprise as swift surging floodwaters inundated their homes, causing some to cling to poles to save themselves from being swept away early on Sunday morning (March 23).
Villager Anizah Ali, 57, said everyone failed to realise that the flood would hit, as the water level in the river rose drastically at about 3am, surging into their homes, especially those next to the river.
She considered herself fortunate to have escaped from the chest-high waters to higher ground.
"We didn't expect it would flood, as last Wednesday (March 19) the floods hit Kota Tinggi and not our village, but early this morning the water rose so quickly like a surge. Everything at home, including my Raya cookies, the motorcycle and car, couldn't be saved," she told Bernama.
Her sister Halimah, 53, who lives next door, said she managed to save herself by clinging to a house pillar for over 20 minutes before the floodwaters receded slightly.
"Thankfully, my son tethered a line for us to walk because the currents were so strong, but I'm grateful all of us are safe," she said.
Villager Nureita Amat Pale, 36, meanwhile, shared that she and her husband were unable to save their cars and all their belongings at home from the flash floods, and that it would take quite some time to clean her house that was filled with mud.
Village chief Abdul Rashid A Samad said that 111 houses and about 500 households were affected by the floods, which also caused a bridge in the village to collapse.
He expressed hope that the state government would be able to provide some aid to affected villagers as Aidilfitri was just around the corner. – Bernama
