SUNGAI PETANI: It has been days since the “tsunami from the mountain” came pouring into Muhd Rizan Mahmud’s single-storey house in Taman Lembah Merbok, taking away almost everything his family owned, yet the clean-up is still not done.

       The 38-year-old ex-serviceman remembered that afternoon’s flash flood as sudden and overwhelming.

       “Everything was destroyed. The car, laptop, electrical appliances, furniture, clothing.

       “All our clothes are drenched in mud and my children’s school books are soaked and damaged,” said Muhd Rizan, who was still cleaning up the house yesterday.

       Recalling the incident that happened last Wednesday, Muhd Rizan, who has been living there since 2006, said in the past, they only experienced minor flooding in the area beside Sungai Bujang.

       “It was raining heavily that afternoon. Then I heard loud rumbles before seeing muddy water gushing out of the riverbank.

       “Fencing and cement structures beside the river broke when floating debris crashed in and then water poured rapidly into the house, like a tsunami.

       “I called out to my family to flee but the road turned into a murky river and the current became too strong for the car to move,” he said.

       Trapped in the house with water rising quickly, Muhd Rizan, who was formerly with the army, propped a ladder through the ceiling for his four children – aged between five and 17 – so that they could climb up and take shelter in the attic.

       “My wife is nine months pregnant but she climbed the ladder, too. There was just no other choice,” related Muhd Rizan.

       A total of nine people ended up sheltering in Muhd Rizan’s house attic as he took in four children living next door.

       Yesterday, many residents in the neighbourhood where 230 houses were in the path of the raging waters, were still seen cleaning up after nearly a week since the flash flood, their efforts mostly hampered by the lack of piped water.

       Nursery owner Md Yusop Hashim, 72, who planted 400 types of herbs right beside Sungai Bujang, said his labour of love for the last two years had been swallowed by the water.

       “The plants were submerged, buried in mud and sand.

       “I’m trying to save as many of them as possible now,” he said.

       Despite the slim prospects of saving his nursery, Md Yusop expressed gratitude that Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob paid a visit to the disaster site.

       Their plight was conveyed to Ismail Sabri when he visited several of the affected areas in Merbok and Yan.

       He was briefed on the damage to the bridge over Sungai Bujang, which is now closed to traffic, and walked around Taman Lembah Merbok to visit several damaged houses including Muhd Rizan’s to hand out aid.

       He also inspected the Tupah water treatment plant up the hill.During the visit, Ismail Sabri announced a cash assistance of RM5,000 to the families of those who died in the flood while an aid of RM500 will be given to affected individuals in Yan and Merbok.

       He also said that RM75mil will be allocated to repair damaged infrastructure in both districts.

       Last Wednesday, several villages and residential areas around the western side of Gunung Jerai were hit by flash floods and landslides caused by a water surge phenomenon from the mountain.

       Areas like Perigi, Teroi Bukit, Singkir, Kampung Permatang Keramat, Kampung Lubuk Boi, Pekan Yan Besar, Titi Teras, Kampung Acheh and Kampung Setoi in the district were inundated following a heavy downpour.

       About 800 houses in Yan and another 200 in Kuala Muda were hit.

       The floods claimed six victims.