The floods that hit several villages in this district following two days of continuous heavy rain since Wednesday have been described by locals as among the worst, with water levels rising swiftly.

Flood victims housed at the temporary relief centre (PPS) at SMK Bandau said they only managed to save essential items like important documents, while some could only escape with their families.

Noraidah Lamada, 33, from Kampung Sumbilingon Laut, said it was the worst flood the village had experienced in more than two decades.

“Whenever there’s a prolonged downpour, this village usually floods, but never this badly.

“This time, the water surged quickly, and most of us could only think of saving our families.

“The flooding happened in the middle of the night, making it even more terrifying because of the darkness.

“We were fortunate to be rescued by the Civil Defence Force and the Fire and Rescue Department before being safely moved to the PPS,” she told Bernama.

Noraidah said the floods washed away all her household items and estimated her losses to be more than RM10,000.

As of 8am yesterday, Kota Marudu continued to record the highest number of evacuees, with 2,944 people from 1,095 families out of a total of 5,216 victims from 1,820 families.

Another victim, Ida Mariana Marimpan, 40, said as the water level rose, she and her husband managed to rescue only their three children before being evacuated to the PPS.

“It was heartbreaking to see our home in disarray, with household items including electrical appliances washed away. Now, we have to replace everything that was lost or damaged.

“I hope the authorities, especially the government, can help ease our burden,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Azrul Lamada, 37, from Kampung Kuranji, said although this was not the worst flood the village had ever seen, it was among the most severe due to the speed of the rising waters.

“Many residents were unable to save their belongings, including vehicles. Previously, when major floods occurred, the water levels rose gradually and people had time to move their vehicles to safer ground,” he said.