Flash floods force families in Bukit Mertajam to seek shelter at relief centre

After a night away in Perlis, security guard Ab Ghani Abdullah discovered his home in Kampung Kubang Semang, Bukit Mertajam, was flooded by sudden flash floods, with water reaching about one metre deep. He and his family rushed back around 10 pm and were directed to the temporary relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Penanti, where they joined four other relatives, including a disabled sibling. Abdullah warned of additional dangers such as a large python seen near the house and the threat of electrical short circuits.

Meanwhile, factory manager Khairun Najwa Md Noor brought her 78-year-old mother, who suffers from cancer and blindness, to the centre for protection and easier medical care. District officer Datuk Kamarul Haizal Koderat reported that 36 individuals from ten families have been evacuated to the centre. The flood, compounded by high tide, has repeatedly affected Abdullah’s family, marking the fourth inundation in six years.