KOTA MARUDU: The floods that hit Kampung Popok Laut, here, following continuous rain since Thursday (Dec 30) night, have forced residents to wade through waist-deep water to save their belongings.

       A Bernama check found that the road to Kampung Popok Laut, which was among the eight affected villages in the district, was impassable to all vehicles.

       Kampung Popok Laut resident Siti Noratikah Bakar, 28, who was not at home when the floods, said she had to return to the village to save her belongings after finding that her house was on the verge of collapse.

       "I was at my mother-in-law’s house in Kampung Langkon Baru when my father told us the water had started rising at our home.

       "My husband and I decided to wade through the floodwaters to move our belongings to our new house,” she told Bernama.

       Bidin Piling, 55, said every year continuous heavy rain would trigger floods at the village.

       As such, he said his family had made early preparations by keeping their important documents and valuables at a safer location

       Meanwhile, Bandau assemblyman Datuk Wetrom Bahanda said a total of 15 relief centres (PPS) have been set up in the district as preparations to face the flood season.

       He said as of this evening, two PPS have been opened, namely at Sekolah Kebangsaan Teritipan and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tandek to house 504 flood victims.

       Wetrom, who is also the Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, said several steps would be taken, including carrying out river deepening works, as a long-term solution to the flood problems faced by the district.- Bernama