KUALA TERENGGANU – Heavy rain for about six hours since 6pm yesterday caused flash floods in several locations in Terengganu last night.
From videos shared on Facebook, a few tourist locations, such as Dataran Syahbandar, Pasar Payang and Kampung Cina were also affected, with roads in the area closed to light vehicles.
Residents in affected areas were seen busy helping one another to move their vehicles to higher ground, but many traders did not have enough time to move their wares due to the fast rising water.
According to the Disaster Management Committee Secretariat, as at 7am today, 439 victims from 124 families had been evacuated to nine relief centres – less than 24 hours after the closure of the last relief centre for the second wave of floods in the state.
The flood today affected Kuala Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Marang and Kemaman, with evacuation processes being carried out in a few other districts.
Meanwhile, Bernama part-time reporter, Kamaliza Kamaruddin, 39, said the water in her two-storey house has rose to knee height, but the family did not evacuate as they moved upstairs.
“We had time to move only some of the electrical appliances upstairs. This is the third flash flood since we moved to this residential area at Jalan Pusara here,” she said, adding that the previous two occasions were in 2016 and 2018.
However, she said, this time, the water took longer to recede.
Bernama photographer Mohd Khairul Fikiri Osman, 34, was also affected by the floods when water flowed into his house at 9.30pm. Three hours later, he moved out and checked into a hotel with his wife and two children.
“I was able to move the refrigerator to a higher level, but had to leave other appliances when water started to fill the house. What matters most is my family’s safety,” he said.
As at 7.30am today, the water is beginning to recede, though in some areas, it is reported to be drizzling. – Bernama, December 3, 2020
