Floods Still Posing Threat in Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia (News Today) - Heavy floods are still posing a serious threat in many parts of Indonesia this week, following inundations in some villages in Cilacap (Central Java) as well as Lombok Timur and Dompu (West Nusa Tenggara).

On Tuesday and Wednesday, three villages in Sidareja subdistrict, Cilacap regency, were inundated following torrential rains with a height of 30-50 centimeters. Head of the Cilacap natural disaster mitigation agency, Agus Sudaryanto, said a number of houses in Tinggarjaya and Sudagaran were still submerged and 20 families were still sheltered at local military facilities.

"We have distributed food packages to the families displaced by the floods. Some local residents also take care of the refugees by providing them with food stocks," he said.

A displaced resident of Sidareja village named Saidah, 45, said the flood-hit families demanded such humanitarian aids as blankets, medication, and emergency kitchens. Floods also submerged several hundred houses in two villages in Pringgebaya subdistrict, Lombok Timur district, and a number of villages in Dompu district, West Nusa Tenggara province, on Wednesday.

The flash floods hit the two districts following heavy rainfalls with strong winds. Head of Pringgebaya subdistrict Irpan Widiatma said the floods inundated Pringgebaya and Pringgebaya Utara villages due to the overflowing of Kokok Desa river.

"The height of flood waters that submerge such hamlets as Semaya, Tingir, Dasan Segara, Ketapang, Dasar Kerpok, and Cemprongan is about one meter," he said.

Due to the flood waters’ strong currents, three houses in Semaya hamlet were carried away and public facilities in Ketapang hamlet were also inundated, he said. The floods also damaged 150 hectares of farmings. As a result, the villagers were expected to suffer material losses mounting to Rp670 million, he said.

In Dompu district, those living along and near Monta river bank in Woja subdistrict were also hit by floods. "The floods are caused by the overflowing of Monta river. My house, which is 200 meters away from the river bank, is submerged," said Purnawansyah, resident of Monta Bau neighborhood in Woja subdistrict.

Over the past year, Indonesia has been undergoing an extreme weather phenomenon, which partly characterizes with heavy rains and whirlwinds. As the consequences of the torrential rains and whirlwinds, various vulnerable parts of the country have experienced flash floods and landslides.

Wasior town in Teluk Wondama, West Papua Province, for instance, was struck by flash floods on October 3 and 4. The Wasior flooding was the worst which had reportedly killed at least 150 people. Wasior town was covered with mud, logs and rocks following the floods.

Source : kompas

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