By Nazli Ibrahim
SHAH ALAM, Dec 22 — A man driving a car with his pregnant wife and autistic son in tow had panicked after their vehicle skidded off the road while trying to escape the recent floods.
Due to strong currents and unclear visibility, Zulkifli Jamaluddin, 35, had failed to control his car and could not identify the position of nearby drainages during the incident on Saturday.
Zulkifli had to carry his 13-year-old son and wade through floodwaters with his wife barefooted under heavy rain as the car was stranded.
Prior to the incident, the furniture company worker said he was napping at his home in Paya Jaras, Sungai Buloh, when he heard his neighbours crying out over the rising waters that occurred around 2pm.
“I heard my neighbours shouting that the water level had surged, and when I took a look outside, I saw the water rising quickly. My house was flooded in less than 30 minutes.
“My wife and I grabbed whatever items we could before leaving the house. We only managed to save important documents. Other items such as shoes and slippers were washed away,” Zukifly said, adding he had then driven out to save his family.
Zulkifli is among those in Selangor who were affected by the recent flood disaster caused by continuous heavy rain since Friday (December 17).
On December 19, Environment and Water Ministry (Kasa) secretary-general Datuk Seri Zaini Ujang said the heavy downpours that lasted over 24 hours beginning late Friday (December 17) was equal to the average rainfall for a month in Klang Valley.
He said the phenomenon, which is a one in 100-year weather event, occurred due to monsoon flow factors and a low-pressure weather system that achieved the level of a tropical depression that formed in the South China Sea.
