TASEK GELUGOR: An elderly woman bravely waded through nearly a metre of floodwater while carrying her two grandchildren to escape their home in Lahar Yooi, which was affected by flooding yesterday.
Robiyah Rashid, 54, recalled that the floodwaters rose rapidly, quickly filling her home to waist height. At that moment, her only concern was the safety of her granddaughters, aged two and six.
“It had been raining since the morning, but I never expected the water to enter the house. Suddenly, around 3 pm, the water rushed in, and it quickly became overwhelming. I just grabbed my two grandchildren and carried them out of the house to a safe place.
“At that time, my younger brother, my two children and their wives were all there. It was chaotic; we were all focused on saving ourselves and didn’t have time to grab any belongings. We literally left with nothing but the clothes on our backs. Today, there’s still a lot of water in the house,” she told reporters at the temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at Sekolah Kebangsaan Lahar Yooi.
Another flood victim, Robiah Hassim, 54, said that residents got together to help save electrical items from neighbours who were at work.
Unfortunately, not many electrical items could be saved, as the water rose suddenly and the situation became chaotic.
“We, the unemployed mothers, helped our neighbours who were at work to save their electrical items. There are 14 rental homes nearby but we couldn’t save everything because the floodwaters rose so quickly,” she said, adding that her own home was also severely affected by the floods this time.
Zaharah Abu Hamad, 46, recalled that their area began to flood around 11 am due to heavy rain and high tides, which led to the rapid onset of the flooding, leaving them with little time to save anything.
The housewife and mother of three children aged 11 to 22 said that the floodwaters reached knee-height in her home and have still not receded today, prompting her family to continue sheltering in the evacuation centre (PPS) out of concern for their safety.
“The water in the yard and on the way to our house is quite high, possibly over a metre, which is dangerous because it keeps rising so quickly. We can’t leave the house; it’s too risky,” she said.
A walkabout by Bernama around Tasek Gelugor and several other locations in the Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) district revealed that the flooding has not fully receded. Although the weather was clear in the morning, rain and strong winds returned to the area after 2 pm.
Meanwhile, Zakat Pulau Pinang (ZPP) general manager, Zaiasmawi Nayan, said that agency will coordinate all assistance to be provided to the flood victims.
“We will ensure that all necessary supplies for the flood victims are obtained by liaising with the Social Welfare Department (JKM),” he said.
The number of flood victims in Penang has risen to 635 this morning, with individuals housed in 11 temporary relief centres, compared to 236 people who were relocated to seven centres yesterday.
