KUALA NERANG: In a moment of desperation amid rising floodwaters, Nor Amiza Ahmad Sukkri, a flood victim from Padang Terap, turned to an unlikely lifeline: a Facebook live stream.
“I had no choice but to go live on Facebook and ask anyone to come and rescue us, as that was the only option I could think of at the time,” said the 42-year-old from Kampung Semeliang.
Recalling the harrowing events of the previous day, Nor Amiza, her husband Shaharanizal Che Halim, 52, and their 13-year-old son, Muhammad Yasir, found themselves trapped as floodwaters surged unexpectedly in the area.
“At about 1 am, I tried to wade through the water to reach my mother’s house on higher ground, but the current was too strong and the water level too high, so I had to turn back. By 2 am, the water continued to rise, reaching above knee level, forcing us to take refuge on the porch wall,” she said.
For the next two hours, the waters kept rising, and at about 4.30 am, Nor Amiza attempted to reach emergency services.
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“I called the police, the fire department and the Civil Defence Force (APM), but by then, no vehicles could reach our house due to the high water level,” she said when met at SK Kuala Nerang temporary relief centre here today.
Faced with no other options, she decided to broadcast her distress on social media, hoping the live stream would be seen by someone able to offer help.
“I knew if the lives stream was shared, perhaps someone could come to our aid,“ she said, adding that after clinging to the wall for about three hours, a rescue boat arrived at 7 am to evacuate the family to the relief centre.
“I’m so grateful we’re safe. I think everything in the house was swept away, but it’s okay, life is what matters most, and material things can be replaced,” she said.
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Meanwhile, Kedah UMNO chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid visited several relief centres in the Padang Terap area today to assess the situation.
“Heavy rainfall over the past few days has caused flooding... In Padang Terap, this involves the Ahning and Muda dams, resulting in floods affecting more than 30 villages.
“The government has activated temporary relief centres and various departments and agencies have been on the ground to assist the affected victims,” he said.
