SHAH ALAM, Sept 23 — It only took 15 minutes for floodwaters to rise to chest level, said an Ampang Jaya resident, when a rainstorm on Sunday afternoon inundated her neighbourhood.
Recounting the flash flood nightmare to New Straits Times, Nurul Huda Paduli said the flash flood on Jalan Kolam Air Lama took her by surprise and she only had time to save her laptop, mobile phone, wallet and identification documents before escaping.
The 39-year-old legal adviser was having a meal with her husband and younger sister when water rushed into their house and sparked chaos.
“It happened so quickly. Before the incident, my husband, younger sister and I were having a meal while watching television,” said, adding that it was “like Titanic” with her household items and appliances floating away in the current.
The situation only got worse when the electricity went out and they had to seek shelter on the second storey.
She also said that despite the water having receded, damages were more severe than in previous floods, with her losses estimated at more than RM50,000.
“The water began to recede about 5pm after the rain stopped.
“This was the worst flood experience for our family. Our home was previously hit by floods in late 2024 and April 2025, but the water only reached ankle level,” she said.
Nurul Huda urged the local authorities to improve and regularly maintain drains to prevent a recurrence of the flash flood.
