YAN: "We never expected to be hit by another 'mini tsunami' this soon. This is very tiring as we are still recovering and rebuilding life after the first tragedy two months ago."
Those were the words of hawker Aisyah Abdul Wahab from Jalan Masjid when asked about the flash flood on Wednesday evening which affected some 160 homes at the foothill of Gunung Jerai here.
Like other villagers here, 53-year-old Aisyah and her children were busy cleaning up their home which was submerged by half a metre of water during the most recent flash flood.
The house lawn was still covered with mud and sand from the flood, while most of their belongings were still placed outside the home as they carried out tedious cleaning work inside.
"We are all having sleepless nights whenever it rains as we are still traumatised by the first flash flood incident," she said, sharing her ordeal.
Wednesday's flash flood, although not as devastating as the Aug 18 disaster, was still a huge blow to the single mother.
On Aug 18, a surge of water from the waterfall areas at the foot of Gunung Jerai caused floods that affected some 1,000 houses in Yan and Kuala Muda, claiming the lives of six people.
"I was making preparations to restart my business after the first flash flood and I did not expect the second one to come.
"This is another huge blow as my income was badly affected during the lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic since last year," said Aisyah, while staring at her kitchen garden plot which was completely flattened by the first flash flood.
Her neighbour Rosli Mohamad, 51, said he felt that their lives had been put on hold ever since the first tragedy.
"It has been two months now but I have to put plans to buy new basic furniture on hold out of fear of more flash floods as it is still raining here," said the retired soldier, who was busy cleaning up mats when approached.
"These mats are gifts from well-wishers, I am cleaning and reusing them to honour the kind-hearted donors," he said, adding that this was the first floods he had experienced since renting here over two decades ago.
Residents in Kampung Setol, located further upstream, are also fearing for their safety following the second flash floods.
"This river's depth used two be about 2m but you can see for yourself now that it has been reduced to just ankle-deep after the first 'mini tsunami'," said Zulkiflie Mat, pointing towards the river located just metres away from his single-storey house.
He said things got even worse as the second flash flood carried more rocks and uprooted logs to the riverbank, making the river level even shallower.
"My house was inundated by ankle-deep water. The clean-up work is very tiresome as we had just finished cleaning up the house recently after the first flash flood," he said, appealing to the authorities to expedite the clean-up of the river before another flash flood hits the area.
Zulkiflie said his family was still traumatised by the first flash flood which left their house submerged by a half-metre deep water.
"I have been living here since 2016 and I love the calming sounds of the river. Now, I am having sleepless nights," he said.
His neighbour Arani Khamis, 48, said she had the scare of her life when a coconut tree near her house was uprooted by strong river currents during the recent flash flood.
"It missed my house by just a few metres. I shudder to think what would have happened if the tree had hit my house," she said.
Arani said a small bridge which connects the village and SK Kampung Pauh that collapsed during the Aug 18 flash flood has yet to be repaired.
"I hope the government will expedite work to build a new crossing. It would be easier for us to send our children to school," she said.
Meanwhile, state Drainage and Irrigation Department director Md Khuzai Hussain said the clean-up and repair work at 11 rivers in Yan district were 65 per cent completed.
"The works started in mid-September and will be completed by early November," he said in a statement.
He added that the rivers involved are Sungai Batu Hampar, Sungai Bakong, Sungai Raga, Sungai Ruat Air Sungai Titi Hayun, Sungai Dara Mandi, Sungai Yan Besar, Sungai Singkir, Sungai Teroi, Sungai Setar and Sungai Seri Pagi.
Khuzai said among the job scopes under the short-term action were river deepening, stabilising the river banks, removing uprooted trees and debris and repairing damaged water gates.
"With the completion of the works, we expect this would help reduce the impact of flash floods on the people and properties.
"A long-term solution for the disaster has been outlined in a proposal submitted to the ministry for review and approval," he said.
