SUBANG JAYA, Nov 6: The past few days have been quite an eventful one for some people in this city of Selangor.
On Friday, Nov 3rd, a python turned up in one of the monsoon drains in the backlane of USJ 2. It was found trying to swim into a washing machine water outlet of one of the houses but it was just too big, or so said the resident who spotted it.
The fire engine was called but the snake could not be retrieved as it was stuck between the hole and the drain, and the firemen, after trying for several hours to bring it up and out, failed to do so. One resident whose house was also close to the drain, said the resident who spotted it had poured hot water on it. Unbelieavable as it was, it was reported dead after a few hours by the firemen.
The firemen left without the snake and an assurance to onlooking residents that a dead snake would not be a danger. All the residents who witnessed the commotion, probably did not sleep well that night. Dead or alive, the poor python was forgotten the next day.
A python in the drain during a rainy period is not exactly unusual but many of the residents in USJ 2 agreed that it was the first time they had encountered such a “huge threat”. The firemen who had tried to remove it did say it was long.
On Sunday, one of the popular shopping malls in Subang Jaya had the case of flash floods which left its ground floors and basement parking areas filled with flood waters. While it may not have been the first time, residents who had hoped to do some shopping in the mall were bewildered and wondered how this popular mall could have become a victim of flash floods. The mall’s ground and basement floors were lower than the main road facing it. There were also talks that its roofs could have been leaking.
On Monday, a house in USJ was hit by lightning, which started a bit of a fire and damaged the upper floor of the double-storey house.
There is no saying how shocked and bewildered the residents of this house could have been. Their neighbours were equally bewildered and crowded around the two fire engines that had come to the rescue to get an update on what was happening. The good news was no one was hurt in the incident. The firemen from USJ Fire and Rescue department were quick to put out the fire and did their job well.
A python, freak storm and a lightning striking a house – all within four days – may be unsettling for residents of an area used to more predictable happenings like a terrible traffic snarl, piled up garbage on their streets or even the occasional robberies, and the sound of ambulance or police siren in their streets, but the events of the past few days were just a little more unusual. Perhaps even an indicator of what to expect during the coming rainy season.
With Peninsular Malaysia transitioning to the North East monsoon period, where the states in the east coast will see more heavy rains as the year ends, Perak and Selangor in the west coast have been also seeing heavy rains, swollen rivers and flash floods.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in a statement earlier today urged residents in flood-prone areas to be cautious and follow the authorities’ instructions to avoid and reduce the impact of the disaster on their lives and properties.
— WE