JOHOR BARU: When a massive flood turned large parts of Shah Alam into a huge lake in December 2021, submerging houses and vehicles, Norisan Yunus knew he had to be prepared.
His village, Kampung Baru Muafakat Gelang Patah, is a flood-prone one, too. The warehouse officer quickly bought an inflatable boat to ensure his family’s safety in case of an emergency.
His wife, Syazwani Elya Shaharuddin, 36, said the situation in their village had become worse recently.
“We used to see floods once every 10 years or so, but lately, it has been flooding at least three times a year.
“The boat has been very useful for us to make sure that our two young daughters are safe and dry from floodwaters,” said the mother-of-two.
Syazwani, an insurance agent, said she would get worried whenever dark clouds gathered.
When it started pouring, the villagers would move their vehicles to higher ground, and she would start packing.
“My husband will move our electrical items on top of tables while I put the important documents and laptops inside a zip lock.
“He will then pump up the inflatable boat before placing our two daughters, ages two and six, on it and pulling it into a safe area,” she added.
Syazwani said the water would rise quickly if the heavy rainfall happened during high tide at Sungai Gelang Patah, near the village.
Syazwani has reason to fear.
In 2012, she had just given birth to her second daughter when she was trapped in the floods.
“I was still in confinement, and my baby was just days old when the floodwaters rose to waist level.
“I had to walk through the floods with my husband holding our two girls before our neighbours came to help,” she said.
Syazwani said authorities built bigger drains in the village, and she hopes they are enough to end the frequent floods.
“Now that Johor is experiencing heavy rain every evening and night, I just hope there will be no flooding,” she said.
