Merlimau: A woman who is still in confinement was forced to wade through floodwaters with her 21-day-old baby girl after their home in Kampung Kilang Berapi was inundated, following more than three hours of continuous heavy rain this morning. Nur Hijrah Jalaludin, 36, said she was alone with her baby when she saw water from a nearby river and retention pond begin to overflow into their yard around 8 am and immediately called her husband, who was at work, to return home.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, with her limited mobility, Nur Hijrah’s only concern was for her baby’s safety. About 30 minutes later, her husband arrived, and she had to wade through floodwaters, which had reached her calves, to evacuate from their home. This is the second flood in four months that the family has experienced. The last occurrence was in October when Nur Hijrah was still pregnant, and they had to evacuate to a temporary relief centre.

The mother of three expressed gratitude that her family remained safe despite the challenges, especially during Ramadan. Meanwhile, another resident, Nur Shuhada Kasim, 29, said she had anticipated the flood as her family had faced a similar situation a few months ago. She noticed the water rising slowly around 8 am and quickly evacuated her 69-year-old mother and two children to a relief centre.

Similarly, Suraya Unan, 54, who lives in Jasin, rushed back to assist her mother, who lives alone, to pack and save valuables upon learning that the area, including the homes of her siblings nearby, had started to flood. Suraya was at work when she requested permission from her employer to leave and assist her mother, as her siblings were also dealing with the same situation. The area is prone to flooding, and this time, the water rose to knee level.

As of 4 pm today, 225 people from 65 families have been evacuated to two relief centres in Jasin and one in Melaka Tengah after 34 areas were flooded following heavy rainfall since 5 am.