PASIR MAS: Kampung Bawah Lembah, Rantau Panjang here has turned into a fisherman's village, with dozens of boats belonging to the residents docked on the side of the main road, after it was hit by floods since Saturday (Dec 10).

A resident, Zaid Ismail, 52, said that with the five-kilometre (km) long main road also flooded up to one-metre high, the villagers are forced to use the boats to relocate to the temporary evacuation centre (PPS).

"Many residents in this village have their own boats because when the village is flooded, it often turns into what looks like an ocean.

"We are used to this kind of situation, so when there is a flood, the boats will be our mode of transportation," he said when met by Bernama, here, today.

Zaid said he had to move to PPS at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Gual Periok when the water level in his compound rose to almost two metres.

"It looks like it will take at least more than a week before the flood water recedes and the road can be used by vehicles," he said.

Ramli Che Awang, 55, said residents in the area will use the boats to go about their business.

"During this one or two weeks, we will use the boats because our cars and motorcycles have to be parked on higher grounds.

"Some have had to paddle by boat for as far as one kilometre to check on their homes, which they had evacuated to stay at the PPS," he said.

-- BERNAMA