Kampung panji: A mother who is seven months pregnant courageously waded through 500 meters of thigh-deep floodwaters to escape her inundated home in Kampung Panji. Accompanied by her three-year-old son and sister, Nik Syazwana, 29, Nik Nor Nadia Nik Ibrahim, 24, sought higher ground for temporary shelter.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the relentless rain since last Friday caused the water level to rise more swiftly than usual, breaching their living room by about 3 pm on Saturday. Nik Nor Nadia explained, “We usually wait it out because the water typically recedes quickly. But this time the current was strong and the water surged in so fast, we couldn’t save anything.” Upon reaching safety, her husband, Mohd Zaid Ghani, transported them to a relief center. Despite this being their second evacuation, the family expressed gratitude for their safety.

Meanwhile, at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Jelawat relief center, single mother Norsalina Che Mat, 42, recounted this year’s flood as one of the most terrifying in her decade-long residency in Kampung Mujur. The water rose so rapidly that she barely had time to salvage important documents and her children’s clothing before their hurried departure early Sunday morning. “Usually the floodwaters rise slowly, but that morning, when I stepped outside to check the drain, the water had already reached my knees,” she said.

Norsalina promptly evacuated with her seven-year-old daughter, Nur Aysha Alimin, before the current intensified. She credited the Civil Defence Force team for their timely arrival and assistance in relocating them to the center. Despite the crowded conditions, she noted the community’s spirit of cooperation, particularly in managing food and sleeping arrangements.