10,000 displaced by floods in Indonesia capital, two dead
JAKARTA: Severe flooding following torrential rain has driven almost 10,000 people from their homes in the Indonesian capital, an official said Wednesday, with two people killed so far in the seasonal chaos.
National disaster management agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said 9,374 people had been evacuated to temporary shelters, while a child was among the two victims swept away in the floods Tuesday.
"Days of heavy downpours caused the rivers to overflow and triggered floods up to three metres (10 feet)," he told AFP, adding that rivers in the capital Jakarta had a low capacity to contain the monsoon rain.
Indonesia is regularly afflicted by deadly floods and landslides during its wet season, which lasts around half the year, and many in the capital live beside rivers that periodically overflow.
At least 11 people were killed and seven missing in November after flash floods triggered by heavy rain hit a village on Indonesia's Sulawesi island.-AFP
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Floods Displace Thousands in Jakarta and Banten
16.01.13. Heavy rainfall across Jakarta and Banten this week displaced more than 100,000 people from their homes, cut access to several roads and left thousands of houses damaged.
East Jakarta was hit the hardest with seven out of its 10 subdistricts inundated with water, with floods reaching up to three-meters high.
The head of the Banten office of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Suyadi Wiraatmadja, said floods had displaced more than 109,000 people from their homes, although most of them had returned to their homes now that floods were receding.
The wet weather conditions also left some roads such as Jalan Jatinegara Barat, Kalibata and the Kampung Melayu Kecil bridge flooded, which cut off access to areas in East Jakarta and to the neighboring municipality of South Jakarta.
East Jakarta Deputy Mayor Husein Murad said on Wednesday that the subdistricts of Jatinegara, Kramat Jati and Matraman were the most affected areas, with more than 6,000 people displaced from their homes.
The floods also forced the TransJakarta network to close down some bus stations and divert routes in three of its 10 corridors.
Sri Ulina Pinem, the TransJakarta spokeswoman, said the three corridors they shut down were Corridor I, which connects Kalideres in West Jakarta with Harmoni in Central Jakarta, Corridor VII (Kampung Rambutan in South Jakarta to Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta) and Corridor VIII (Harmoni to Lebakbulus in East Jakarta).
“We hope the public can understand the operational disruptions. We will tackle this problem as soon as possible,” Sri said.
Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo said on Wednesday morning that he was going to meet Vice President Boediono later in the day to discuss Jakarta’s flood problems, among other issues.
“We need full help from the central government; and we need to act quickly,” Joko said at the City Hall.
Separately in Banten, a neighboring province to Jakarta, floods are reportedly affecting 62 subdistricts in four districts — Pandeglang, Serang, Tangerang and Lebak — and the Serang municipality after several days of torrential rains.
Some roads were also inundated with water in the municipalities of Serang, Cilegon and Tangerang.
Cilegon Mayor Iman Aryadi admitted that his town's poor drainage system contributed to the floods.
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Flood cuts off toll road, kills 4 in Banten
11.01.13. A toll road was closed, four people reportedly died and dozens of families had to be evacuated in Banten on Thursday after days of heavy rains in the province, inundating at least four of its regencies.
The rains caused major rivers in the province — the Ciujung, the Cidurian, the Cilember and the Ciliman — to overflow, submerging 33 districts in Lebak, Pandeglang, Serang and Tangerang.
Suryadi Wiraatmaja, head of the Banten Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), said that flood water inundated at least 3,240 houses in seven districts in Serang and 6,060 other houses in 11 districts in Pandeglang. The flood inundated 1,053 houses in Lebak and 117 in Tangerang.
“Flood water has killed three residents in Lebak and another one in Pandeglang according to reports we received today,” he said.
The flood victims in Lebak regency were identified as Warsiti, 65, a resident of Talun, Penancangan village, Cibadak district; Dadang, 35, a resident of Kujang Sari village, Cibeber district; and Mustofa, 16, a resident of Sindangsari village, Sajira district. Another victim in Pandeglang regency was identified as Sari, 75. He said that landslides and strong winds had also hit both Lebak and Pandeglang when the flood came.
The flood victims were evacuated from their homes from Wednesday. Local authorities have established emergency posts and sent supplies and disaster mitigation officials to the flood-hit areas. Officials said they were still calculating the estimated losses caused by the disaster.
The flooding submerged the Jakarta-Merak turnpike between kilometer 57 and 59, forcing its operator, PT Mandala Marga Sakti, to close the road from Wednesday night. “As of now, the Tangerang-Merak turnpike is still closed and the water level that inundates part of the toll road at kilometer 58 reaches 150 centimeters,” the company’s spokesman, Rakhmatullah, told The Jakarta Post.
Tangerang regency traffic police deputy chief Insp. Darto said that 12 kilometer-long traffic congestion along Jl. Raya Serang was inevitable due to the closure.
Strong winds and extreme weather have reportedly hit a number of regions across the archipelago for the last few weeks.
In the Riau Islands, a whirlwind was reported to have hit Batam, Bintan, Tanjung Pinang and Natuna on Tuesday and Wednesday, destroying 234 houses, forcing people to flee their homes. Three people were seriously injured because of the whirlwind, one of whom, identified as M. Raihan, 10, was still in a coma.
The local office of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) predicted strong winds of 30 to 35 kilometers per hour in speed, with thunder and lightning due to cumulus nimbus clouds continuing to hit the province until the end of this month.
“Those residing along the province’s coastal areas have to be especially cautious. Winds that strong are destructive,” BMKG head Philip Mustamu said.
Riau Islands provincial disaster mitigation agency (BPBD) head Munzir Purba said financial losses due to the strong winds were predicted to reach up to Rp 600 million (US$62,112). “Displaced people for
the time being are taking shelter at relatives’ houses. Emergency response aid will be provided by the respective regency or city administrations. We are just collecting data on the affected regions,” Purba told the Post.
the time being are taking shelter at relatives’ houses. Emergency response aid will be provided by the respective regency or city administrations. We are just collecting data on the affected regions,” Purba told the Post.
In Yogyakarta, dozens of houses were damaged by falling trees due to strong winds that hit the province from Wednesday until Thursday.
Some of the trees fell onto electricity cables, causing temporary blackouts across Yogyakarta municipality and Bantul regency. Some blocked roads, causing long lines of vehicles at some road sections. A tree of some 60 centimeters in diameter fell on an artesian well installation belonging to the Bantul tap water company, causing financial losses of up to tens of millions of rupiah.
“Thanks to the damage we won’t be able to have a water supply for the next few days,” the company’s president director, Agung Darmadi, said on Thursday.
In other places, strong winds caused a tree to fall on a Toyota Avanza vehicle and a school building. Some trees damaged advertising boards along some road sections in the province. No fatalities had yet been reported.
As of Thursday, strong winds were still hitting the region. “I hope people are really cautious and understand this unpredictable climate. Old trees should be cut down,” Bantul BPBD head Dwi Daryanto said.
Forecaster Subandi of the BMKG’s Yogyakarta office said that the strong winds were due to the Narelle storm that hit the province’s southern coastal region at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour or about 35 to 40 knots.
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Flood inundating thousand houses in S Sumatra for week
08.01.13. Palembang, S Sumatera (ANTARA News) - The flood that has inundated thousand houses in Banyuasin district, South Sumatra, since a week ago has not yet receded, an official said.
"Looking at the current situation where the rainfalls are still high, we predict the flood will last until one month ahead," Chairman of the Banyuasin District Disaster Mitigation Board Harobin Mustofa said here on Tuesday.
There are two sub-districts affected by the flood in Banyuasin, namely Rantau Bayur and Pulau Rimau. Among the two sub-districts, Rantau Bayur is hit the hardest by the flood, with 17 of a total of 20 villages inundated by flood water.
About 1,600 families are impacted by the flood. Most of them are still living in their flooded houses (mostly those who are living in stilt houses), while the rest has evacuated to several temporary shelters.
The local government has distributed humanitarian aid, namely food supply, blankets and medicine among the people living in the flood-hit areas.
"Considering that the flood is predicted to last for sometime, we are now trying to propose more humanitarian aid to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency," Harobin added.
Earlier, spokesperson for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said some parts of Indonesia could be hit by landslides and floods before April 2013 as the country is facing rainy season.
"A total of 315 districts and cities in Indonesia could be hit by floods. Nearly 60.9 million people could be affected as a result. In addition, 270 districts and cities in Indonesia could be hit by flash floods," he said.
Sutopo added that Indonesia is more likely to be hit by hydro-meteorological disasters such as floods, landslides, whirlwinds, droughts and high tides, than geological, social and biological disasters.
According to him, global warming results in hydro-meteorological disasters.
Sutopo said apart from landslides and floods, cold lava floods may occur near Mount Merapi (Yogyakarta province), Mount Gamalama (North Maluku), Mount Bromo (East Java), Mount Lokon and Mount Soputan (North Sulawesi).
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At Least Five People Killed in Indonesia Floods
07.01.13. At least five people were killed in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi as flooding in the number of regions intensified due to heavy rains, the Jakarta Post daily reported on Monday.
According to information from the National Search and Rescue Agency, floods caused damages to thousands of houses and public facilities with waters up to two meters deep in some areas.
“We are still evaluating the exact number of affected houses and damaged properties,” the daily quoted South Sulawesi Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Mappagio as saying.
South Sulawesi Deputy Governor Agus Arifin Nu’mang said if heavy downpours continued the authorities would have to seek Navy assistance to evacuate people from remote areas.
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Floods hit regencies, city across Indonesia
03.01.13. Floods have inundated hundreds of houses and hectares of farmland in three regencies -- West Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Aceh Besar in Aceh and Bojonegoro in East Java --forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Thursday that the floods had inundated four districts, Pototano, Sateluk, Brangrea and Taliwang in West Sumbawa as of Wednesday afternoon.
“Some 372 houses were affected, while two were destroyed,” he said in a statement.
Sutopo said the floods had also affected 120 hectares of farmland and destroyed three bridges.
A four-meter-deep flood also inundated 95 houses in Beurenud village in Aceh Besar, displacing some 600 residents.
Meanwhile, downpours have caused massive flooding, which affected 445 houses in four districts in Bojonegoro – Balen, Sugihwaras, Trucuk, Bojonegoro – since Wednesday morning, Sutopo said.
He added that dozens of hectares of rice crops were at risk of failure due to the flood.
Hundreds of houses in Manggala district in Makassar, South Sulawesi, have reportedly been inundated by thigh-deep floodwater since Wednesday evening following a two-day downpour. Dozens of women and children have been evacuated by the local disaster mitigation agency using rubber dinghies, Antara news wire reported.
The local BNPB office in the area had worked with relevant bodies to distribute first aid to the affected areas, as well as establish temporary kitchens and clinics in the shelters. (cor/swd)
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Two Dead, Thousands Displaced in North Sumatra Floods
31.12.12. Flood waters inundated four districts in North Sumatra this weekend, killing two and displacing thousands after heavy rains pounded the region on Saturday.
Rivers in South Nias and Mandailing Natal overtook their banks after a period of prolonged heavy rain on Saturday, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo said. The districts of West Nias and Central Tapanuli also suffered heavy flooding.
One person remained missing, while at least two were killed as the floodwaters swept through the districts, Sutopo said.
“Two dead bodies, swept away by the Eho River, were found in the subdistricts of Maniomolo and Amandraya,” he said.
Some 2,600 people had to evacuate their homes in seven South Nias subdistricts as the floodwaters reached their doorsteps, Sutopo said.
Subdistricts in West Nias, Central Tapanuli and Mandailing Natal were also hit, he said. BNPB crews were on location Monday morning to assess the damage, but data was still scarce, Sutopo said.
Heavy rains also caused flooding in Pandeglang, Banten; Garut, West Java; and Tegal in Central Java, the BNPB reported.
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Flooding inundated 800 houses in Pesisir Selatan
30.12.12. Painan, W Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Flooding hit Pesisir Selatan district, West Sumatra, inundating 800 houses following rains on Saturday and Sunday.
No casualty was reported but the 800 houses in the sub-districts of Linggo Sari Baganti and Koto XI Tarusan in the district were still inundated, the regional disaster control agency (BPBD) said.
In the sub-district of Linggto Sari Baganti, the flood water reached as high as a man`s chest, Jamaluddin, head of the agency said here on Sunday.
The flooding also submerged the western Sumatra highway cutting off land transport between the west Sumatra capital of Padang and Painan.
Hundreds of cars were trapped awaiting until water receded until 10.00 on Sunday local time.
Around 150 hectares of farm lands were put under water damaging newly planted crops.
The roads were blocked by falling trees and electric poles, which also cut power supply to many houses.
The hardest hit is Nagari Lagan Hilir and Lagan Mudik Linggo Sari Baganti where many people have to move to other places as their houses have been inundated since Saturday.
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Indonesian Capital Submerged by Floods
26.12.12. Torrential rains, which flooded major thoroughfares and submerged thousands of homes in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta over the weekend overtake more homes with each subsequent hour. Though the area is prone to flooding, authorities say this is beyond anything they had prepared for, and Jakarta cannot be sufficiently protected.
Indonesia is rated one of the top first five countries most frequently hit by natural disasters over the last decade. Flooding began in its West Java area Saturday with extraordinarily heavy rains that cause the Ciliwung River, usually 20 inches (50 cm), to swell to 47 inches (120 cm). On Sunday morning, the waters reached south Jakarta, and by Monday afternoon much of the capital had been inundated.
Jakarta’s traffic police unit reported damage on the streets: collapsed trees due to strong winds, vehicles and especially motorbikes broken down as flood waters permeated engines.
In some parts of east Jakarta, such as Kampung Pulo and Kampung Melayu, water depth reached 8.2 feet (2.5 m).
The dimensions and the problem of flooding in Jakarta continue to increase.
—National Disaster Management Agency
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported Monday that waters flooded the homes of 10,250 families in Jakarta. Refugees numbered 1,448 in the areas of Baleendah District, Dayeuhkolot, Bojongsoang, Rancaekek, Cileunyi and Banjaran.
As of Monday afternoon, no casualties had been reported, but the severity of the situation is increasing.
“The dimensions and the problem of flooding in Jakarta continue to increase,” reads a statement of BNPB released Sunday.
The agency explained that before the 1970s, the dominant factors for flooding were natural causes. But later, the causes became more complex, combining natural and anthropogenic factors.
Jakarta Public Works Agency chief Ery Basworo said that the existing drainage system is working fine, according to the Jakarta Post, it is only that the water flow is too great. Average rainfall in Jakarta is 0.2–0.4 inches (5–10 millimeters) per hour; rainfall in Jakarta Saturday reached 6 inches (150 millimeters) per hour.
“This doesn’t happen a lot, so the pumps could not handle it,” Ery said.
Jakarta authorities have so far identified 78 areas at risk of being flooded. There are several government initiatives to solve the flooding problem, but they will likely be insufficient.
The East Flood Canal can only control flooding in 15 areas. The West Flood Canal can only manage six areas.
Even if all the planned protections for the future were already in place, it would be difficult to cope with the current levels of flooding.
The Jakarta Emergency Dredging Initiative will address flooding in 20 areas by dredging 13 rivers between 2013 and 2014. Another effort scheduled to finish in 2014, the dredging of the Pesanggrahan River, the Angke River, and the Sunter River, would only solve the flooding problem in 10 areas.
“Jakarta will not be absolutely flood free,” concluded National Disaster Management Agency’s statement.
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Flooding kills hundreds of people in Indonesia in 2012
14.01.13. Bandarlampung (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian environmentalist organization (Walhi) expressed concern with the many people falling victims to flooding in the country.
In 2012, hundreds of people were killed in flooding and landslides and the disasters remain a threat every year.
Mukri Friatna, Walhi coordinator told ANTARA news agency here that there were 503 rain triggered floods and landslides in 2012 leaving 140 people killed in 54 locations in 22 regencies in the country.
The areas hardest hit by flooding were those in the provinces of West Java, Banten and Maluku, Mukri said.
Early 2013, flooding and landslides are continuing hitting 55 regencies and cities with 22 people killed, according to Walhi.
In the regency of Serang alone in Banten, flooding has inundated 14 of 28 sub-districts in the regency since January 7 peaking on January 8.
In the village of Ragas Masigit in the sub-district of Carenang, there are 320 houses and hundreds of hectares of rice fields with two month old crop damaged by flooding.
In the village of Cakung, in the sub-district of Binuang the flood water was as high as 40 cm on Saturday filling the villagers` houses.
The villagers had received no aid either because of negligence of the district authorities or problem in logistics, Walhi said.
The local people were forced to move to higher places setting up tents on road sides .
However, problems continued to haunt them with no clean water, and shrinking provision of food and medicines especially for women and children.
In urban areas such a sin the city of Tangerang the people fared better with aid coming immediately both from the government and philanthropists.
There are also aid from political parties, whose concern is mainly to attract sympathy rather than to show sympathy, a local people said.
Mukri said flooding had also damaged highways citing the Lebak Wangi highway between Rumpin and Parung Panjang paved with concrete only two years ago, was 90 percent damaged.
Walhi called for aid from the district administration of Serang for the victims of flooding and landslides .
The victims especially women and children in isolated areas need emergency accommodations, foods and medicines.
