WARNING OF HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL DISASTERS ISSUED DURING RAINY SEASON by Fardah

Jakarta, Nov 9, 2018 (Antara) - The rainy season has set in quite late over certain regions but has already induced floods and landslides, claiming more than 25 lives, particularly in parts of Sumatra and Java Islands.

        Since October 2018, floods have reportedly hit many villages in several provinces, such as West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Riau, Aceh, West Java, and East Java.

        At least 22 people were killed and 15 missing due to flooding in North Sumatra and West Sumatra, while in West Java, floods claimed six lives and rendered one missing recently.

       Indonesia is indeed prone to hydrometeorological disasters, such as flooding, landslide, and whirlwind, in the rainy season and wildfires or severe drought during the dry season.

       Hence, the Indonesian Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has warned of possible floods, landslides, and whirlwind during the current rainy season.

        "Entering the rainy season, the possibility of floods, landslides, and whirlwind increases," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the BNPB spokesman, noted in a statement on November 8, 2018.

         Precipitation will continue to increase, and the rainy season will peak in January, so the disaster threat is higher.

         In Riau, Sumatra Island, floods submerged a total of 4,384 homes located in 44 villages in 11 sub-districts in Indragiri Hulu (Inhu) District on Nov 7.

        The affected sub-districts were Pasir Penyu, Rengat, Kuala Cenaku, West Rengat Barat, Lirik, Lubuk Batu Jaya, Peranap, Rakit Kulim, Batang Peranap, Kelayang, and Sei Lala, Edward Sanger, head of the Riau disaster mitigation office, said on Nov 8.

        The flooding was triggered by incessant heavy rains that caused the Kuantan River to overflow its bank.

         In West Sumatra Province, landslides hit Talamau Sub-district in West Pasaman District and Palembayan Sub-district in Agam District on Nov 7.

       Incessant heavy rains triggered flooding and landslides in several areas, Tri Wahluyo, head of the West Pasaman disaster mitigation office, stated.

         Among areas affected by landslides were Bunuik Kinali, Kampung Baru Ranah Batahan, Limpato Kajai in Talamau Sub-district, while floods hit Koto Sawah and Lubuk Gobing. Local authorities cleared mud and rocks on several roads to resume the traffic.

        One villager was killed and two others injured after their home was buried by a landslide in Sintuak Village, North Pariaman Sub-district, Pariaman, West Sumatra, on November 9, 2018.

        In Agam District, landslides blocked two roads connecting Palembayan Sub-district with Bukittinggi following downpour in the evening.

        The local authorities have deployed personnel of a Swift Response Team to clear out the mud and rocks from the roads.

       In addition, floods submerged six homes in Durian Kapeh Village, Tanjungmutiara Sub-district, and a road in Muaro Kandang, Tapian Kandiah, Palembayan.

         The West Sumatra provincial government has warned local inhabitants of possible flooding and landslides in the current rainy season.   
    In Indonesia's western most province of Aceh Darussalam, floods hit 12 villages in four sub-districts in Aceh Jaya District on Nov 6.

         "Incessant downpours falling in Aceh Jaya since Tuesday afternoon, have triggered flooding in parts of the four sub-districts," Teuku Ahmad Dadek, head of the Aceh disaster mitigation office, said.

       Flood waters reaching a height of  between 20 cm and 150 cm, forced several people affected by flooding, to evacuate themselves to safer places.

          A total of 1,272 households comprising 3,901 people were affected by the floods in the four sub-districts.

         The worst hit sub-district was Darul Hikmah, where 961 families with 3,085 members living in eight villages, were affected.

           The inundation submerge two villages in Krueng Sabee sub-district, one village in Sampoiniet sub-district, and another village in Setia Bakti sub-district.

          In Langkat, North Sumatra, floods submerged rice fields measuring 118 hectares in Stabat and Binjai Sub-districts, while Sei Blengking river spilled over its bank, last October 2018.

        Additionally, seven hectares of corn fields, located in Banyumas and Kwala Bingei villages in Stabat, were also flooded.

         Officials noted that the floods have spread to four sub-districts in Langkat, namely Stabat, Secanggang, Tanjungpura and Sei Lepan, Noto Atmojo.

         A total of 1,427 homes were affected by the flooding in the four sub-districts.

         Floods also hit another district of North Sumatra, namely Mandailing Natal and claimed at least 17 lives.

         In Madina, flooding and landslides affected 11 sub-districts, including Natal, Lingga Bayu, Muara Batang Gadis, Naga Juang, North Panyabungan, Bukit Malintang, Ulu Pungkut, Nopan and Batang Natal.

        On Java Island, floods struck the districts of Tasikmalaya and Pangandaran in West Java Province.

        In Tasikmalaya, 498 households in six villages located in three sub-districts -- Culamega, Cipatujah, and Cikalong -- were affected by flooding triggered by incessant downpour.

        The floods claimed five lives and rendered one person missing. Rescue personnel have been deployed to look for the missing victim.

          A bridge, over Ciandum River in Cipatujah Village and connecting Tasikmalaya and Garut, collapsed, as the river overflowed its bank following incessant heavy rains.

          In Pengandaran, 602 households in nine villages in six sub-districts were flooded. The disaster claimed the life of a villager and forced four families comprising 10 people to evacuate to higher ground.

        The local authorities have deployed several personnel to help flood victims in the districts.

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