BALING: It may not be as worse as the massive debris floods that ravaged Kampung Iboi in July last year, but yesterday's incident caught villagers living on higher ground by surprise.
They said it was the first time their premises were hit by floods, despite being spared from previous major disasters.
The deluge occurred as water from the summit of the Gunung Inas mountain ranges cascaded down vigorously, causing destruction in its path.
A car workshop owner, Roslan Hassan, 45, said the traumatising event happened very suddenly last night, leaving him with insufficient time to relocate seven of his customers' cars to safety
"The water began to overflow at around 7.40pm. In just 20 minutes, the water level rose to about half a metre. It was so swift it carried away five cars and two vans.
"I only managed to move two cars, as I couldn't do anything more due to the pitch-black darkness caused by the power outage since 5pm," he said when met here today.
Roslan, who is a father of five, said he is at least thankful the vehicles swept away did not end up in a large ditch by the roadside.
He said two of the vans that were carried away have already been retrieved and brought back into the workshop, while the remaining five cars have yet to be salvaged.
"This floodwater isn't from Sungai Kupang but from a mountain stream. The water was extremely fast. In my 23 years of running this workshop, this is the worst incident," he added.
Meanwhile, Rahmah Abdul Rahman, 67, a resident of Kampung Iboi, said this was the first time floodwaters entered her home.
She suggested that it might be due to a canal, which usually directs water from the mountain stream, bursting and causing the water to flow into her house.
"I've been living here since I got married at the age of 17. This is the worst flood my family and I have ever faced. Even during the flood on July 4 last year, water didn't flow into our home.
"Last night, I had to gather various items and place them at the front door to prevent the water from getting inside. I hope the government could deepen the canal here.
"The water was too fast and the canal is shallow. It could not handle the water which was flowing down so quickly from from the mountain," said the mother of six.