LAWAS — Nothing rattles a kampung quite like sudden bad weather, and yesterday’s fierce wind in Kampung Kerangan proved it. At about 3.45 pm, a mature roadside tree snapped in the gale, plunging onto a family home and destroying most of the kitchen before anyone could react.
According to Lieutenant (PA) Maradona Tatah, who heads the Lawas District Civil Defence Force (APM), officers on duty received an emergency call from worried neighbours at 3.47 pm. A response team was dispatched from the district operations control centre, some 14 kilometres away, and reached the site within minutes.
“Our members began cutting and clearing the heavy branches that had crushed the back portion of the house,” Maradona explained in a statement. “Villagers pitched in, and together we worked until the scene was safe.”
Damage but no injuries
The kitchen bore the brunt of the impact. Walls were cracked, the zinc roof was punctured, and utensils were scattered under a tangle of broken timber. Remarkably, no one was inside at the moment the tree came crashing down. The homeowner’s wife had stepped out to collect laundry, while their children were in the living room. The family escaped with nothing more than frayed nerves.
Community spirit on display
Old‑school kampung solidarity shone through. Neighbours showed up with chainsaws, ropes and wheelbarrows, proving that when nature strikes, tradition still rules: we help one another first, sort the paperwork later. By sunset the bulk of the tree had been removed, tarpaulin sheets covered the gaping roof, and volunteers were already discussing a gotong-royong this weekend to rebuild the kitchen.
A wider warning
Meteorologists have linked the recent spate of sudden gusty storms across northern Sarawak to the ever‑shifting El Niño–La Niña cycle. While trees offer shade and keep village lanes cool, unchecked growth can turn them into hazards when winds pick up. Authorities urge homeowners to inspect large trees near houses and prune where necessary—simple, timeless advice that still holds true today. As weather patterns grow more unpredictable, forward‑thinking maintenance blended with that same kampung spirit will keep communities like Kampung Kerangan safe and strong.
