Floods: Elderly woman evacuated to relief centre three times

CHUKAI: Feeling exhausted is an understatement for an elderly woman living near a river in Kampung Jenang here who has been forced to evacuate to a temporary relief centre three times during this monsoon season alone.

Kalsom Mohamad, 80, said she was first evacuated to Dewan Sivik Air Putih here in late November last year.

The following month, she was once again forced to move to the same relief centre due to floods.

Yesterday, Kalsom had to go through the same thing again when she was evacuated to the relief centre for the third time after her house was submerged in chest-level floodwaters.

"I'm still exhausted from previous flood incidents, about 8 pm yesterday, I was once again forced to move as water rose rapidly following continuous heavy rain since two days ago.

FLOODS-TERENGGANU (ELDERLY) 2 (LAST) CHUKAI

"Fortunately, my son has had helped me with the cleaning work. Although the floodwaters have subsided, my son asked me to stay here (at the relief centre) and return once he finishes cleaning the house," she told Bernama when met at Dewan Sivik Air Putih.

Meanwhile, Rosinah Hassan, 50, from Kampung Teladas here, said although the floodwaters had not completely receded, she has started cleaning her house as she did not want it to be covered in a thick layer of mud.

The food seller said this was the worst floods since 2014 as her house was submerged roof-high.

As of noon today, a total of 615 people from 146 families have been evacuated to six relief centres in Kemaman.

-- BERNAMA