KELANTAN: The annual monsoon season in Kelantan has once again forced thousands of residents to abandon their homes and seek refuge in temporary relief centers, as floodwaters inundate the region. This recurring natural disaster has turned into an unwelcome ‘mandatory holiday’ for many, disrupting lives and challenging the resilience of communities year after year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the relentless flooding has compelled local residents like Mohd Norishamrey Muhammad Noor, 39, to repeatedly evacuate their homes and seek shelter at designated centers. Alongside his wife and three children, Mohd Norishamrey has already been displaced twice this month, with the prospect of further evacuations looming before the monsoon season concludes. At the PPS Sekolah Kebangsaan Kulim, where they have taken refuge, he expressed concerns about returning home prematurely, fearing a resurgence of heavy rains and rising water levels.

Another affected resident, Nik Loqman Ismail, 35, recounted the rapid rise of floodwaters in his village, located merely 200 meters from Sungai Kulim. With floodwaters reaching thigh height inside his home and chest level outside, his family has repeatedly ‘booked’ their stay at the PPS during prolonged downpours. Despite the receding waters from the first wave of flooding, the community was again besieged by floods just yesterday.

In Machang, where floodwaters have begun to recede, some respite is in sight. Ahmad Alfara Mohamad Zin, chief of the Machang Fire and Rescue Department, reported a decline in river water levels and clear weather conditions, prompting authorities to permit evacuees to return home. The Department of Social Welfare confirmed that the temporary shelters would close, allowing residents to return after lunch.

This cycle of displacement underscores the enduring struggle faced by Kelantan’s residents during the monsoon season, as they grapple with the challenges of frequent evacuations and the uncertainties of returning to flood-prone homes.