Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has directed disaster management teams and related agencies to remain on high alert for potential flooding that could impact the capital city in the coming days.
This warning follows updated weather forecasts from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), which indicate the likelihood of heavy rainfall combined with rising sea levels and tidal flooding.
“According to the weather forecast released by BMKG, there is a possibility of tidal flooding and rising sea levels in the next one to two days, along with heavy rain. I have already asked Head of the Water Resources Agency and colleagues to be on standby to deal with this” Pramono stated on Monday, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
Flooding struck numerous areas of Jakarta on Sunday evening due to a combination of extreme rainfall, runoff from upstream regions, and high tides. Governor Pramono explained that the water levels along Jakarta’s coastline only began to recede late Sunday night around 10:30 p.m.
Throughout the night, the city’s teams worked continuously to operate water pumps in critical zones to prevent floodwaters from spreading further.
“If we hadn’t activated the pumps that night, strategic areas like the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout and the Presidential Palace could have been inundated,” Pramono said.
Jakarta’s Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) reported that as of midday Monday, 58 neighborhood units (RT) across the city remained flooded, though this was a reduction from hundreds of RTs submerged earlier that morning. The affected areas included seven RTs in West Jakarta, 17 in Central Jakarta, eight in South Jakarta, and 26 in East Jakarta, displacing hundreds of residents.
Reflecting on the scale of the disaster, Pramono admitted he and his team had not slept through the night to coordinate flood management.
“In my four months as governor, this is the first time we have faced such widespread flooding happening all at once. None of us have had any sleep,” he said after inspecting dredging efforts in East Jakarta’s Bekasi Tengah Irrigation Canal on Monday.
The governor outlined that this severe flooding stemmed from three simultaneous factors: runoff from upstream regions, intense local rainfall, and tidal flooding caused by elevated sea levels.
“The first is runoff flooding, the second is rainfall flooding in Jakarta itself, and the third is rising sea levels occurring at the same time,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported casualties from related flooding and landslides across the Greater Jakarta area (Jabodetabek).
“For the flooding and landslides in Jabodetabek, three people have died and two others are still missing. Search efforts are ongoing,” said Abdul Muhari, Head of BNPB’s Data, Information, and Communication Center, as cited by Kumparan.
Abdul urged residents to stay vigilant, emphasizing that even during the dry season, the risk of heavy rainfall remains.
“We urge communities to keep monitoring weather information and prepare preventive measures,” he said.
He also called on military, police, and local neighborhood security officers to immediately survey rivers, dams, and slopes if rain persists for over an hour.
“If there are indications that water levels are rising and rain continues, evacuate communities near riverbanks without delay. And If rainfall is intense, avoid resting near steep slopes” he emphasized.
Source: CNN Indonesia, Tirto, Kumparan
Photo Credit: Antara
