Nurse and family cling to car to survive terrifying flood

TAIPING - A nurse and her family endured a terrifying ordeal after being trapped by rapidly rising floodwaters at their home in Taiping, forcing them to climb onto their car and pray for survival.

What started as a normal evening turned into a nightmare for Noor Shafinaz Fadzil, 42, when her home in Taman Larah Damai was suddenly engulfed by floodwaters on Thursday.

“It happened so fast. Within minutes, the water was already at waist level. We tried to get out, but the current was too strong,” she said when met at the Changkat Larah Temporary Evacuation Centre (PPS) on Friday.

The strong water pressure tore off the sliding door of her house, leaving her, her husband Mokhairi Mohammad, 46 and their three-year-old son trapped inside.

“We were swept away by the current for a short while before managing to cling onto our car.

“At that moment, I made a video call to my father in Sungai Petani to ask for help. I thought we would not survive,” she recalled.

The video she recorded during the incident later went viral, showing the panic and fear as the flood swept through their home, touching the hearts of many online.

Stranded in darkness with no electricity, the family relied on neighbours and Mokhairi’s friend, Cikgu Alex, who swam through the floodwaters with a long cable to help them reach safety.

“We held onto the cable to cross. I held an empty oil bottle so I could float because I don’t know how to swim,” Noor Shafinaz said.

Her husband was nearly swept away twice before being rescued by a nearby police officer, while their young son was carried to safety by his father’s friend amidst the strong current.

After wading through floodwaters for about 500 metres, the family finally made it to safety.

However, both of their cars and a motorcycle were completely submerged in the flood.

“I only managed to save my mobile phone to contact my family. Everything else is gone,” she said, expressing gratitude that her family survived despite losing everything.