BMG warns of possible landslides, floods<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) warned public on
\nFriday of more landslides and floods due to rainstorms that would
\nfall until the end of this month, especially in the southern and
\neastern parts of the country.<\/p>\n
BMG head Gunawan Ibrahim predicted heavy rains would occur in
\nthe provinces of Riau, Bangka-Belitung, South Sumatra, Central
\nJava, East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara,
\nSouth East Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua.<\/p>\n
\"We have warned authorities in the provinces about the heavy
\nrains and possible landslides and floods which may occur until
\nthe end of this month. The end of February will be the peak of
\nthe rainy season,\" Gunawan told reporters.<\/p>\n
Floods, rainstorms and landslides have claimed lives and
\ninundated many parts of the country over the past week. At least
\n15 people were killed when a landslide buried their homes in
\nPurworejo regency in Central Java last week.<\/p>\n
Rainstorm also hit Jakarta and several cities along the north
\ncoast of Java sea last week.<\/p>\n
Gunawan said the heavy rainfalls were a result of a collision
\nof south winds from Australia and north winds from Asia continent
\nwhich then created thick clouds above Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The rains will reach an intensity of more than 100 millimeters
\nper day, more than double the normal level.<\/p>\n
\"Due to the very heavy rains, landslides may occur in many
\nunstable hilly areas while floods could sweep lower areas in the
\nregions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Gunawan said the rains would start to decrease in March and a
\ntransitional season would take place between May and June before
\nthe dry season comes in July.<\/p>\n
In East Nusa Tenggara, at least four people have been found
\ndeath and five still missing following a flood in Reok district
\nin Manggarai regency.<\/p>\n
Local information office head Agustinus Ampur said on Friday
\nthe search and rescue team was still searching for the missing
\npersons.<\/p>\n
\"The roads have been cut by the flood, making it impossible
\nfor us to deliver humanitarian aid. Telecommunication device has
\nalso paralyzed out there,\" Agustinus claimed.<\/p>\n
He said two villages, Reo and Mata Air, in the district were
\nseverely damaged with almost all of the houses were engulfed by
\nthe floods which reached 2.5 meters high.<\/p>\n
Learning activities in at least 27 schools in Gubub district
\nin Grobogan regency, Central Java have been halted since Thursday
\nas flood drowned the buildings.<\/p>\n
Students and teachers from 21 elementary schools, three junior
\nhigh schools, and three senior high schools were seen working
\ntogether to save their school equipment.<\/p>\n
\"Many of our equipment were damaged by the flood, including
\nbooks. We can't count our losses,\" head of the district's
\neducation agency Sugiyono said.<\/p>\n
Sugiyono expected the students to resume their study on Monday
\nif the flood water subsided and the students could mend the
\ndamage.<\/p>\n
Besides halting the learning activities, the floods also cut
\ntransportation infrastructure linking Grobogan and the provincial
\ncapital of Semarang, destroyed 15 dikes and swamped 290 hectares
\nof paddy field.<\/p>\n
Lack of tarpaulins and other materials to erect makeshift
\ntents have forced hundreds of people in five villages in
\nKarangasem regency, some 70 kilometers east of Denpasar, Bali, to
\ntake shelter in the houses of their relatives and neighbors after
\ntheir homes were swept by windstorm earlier this week.<\/p>\n
\"The regent had distributed 30 tarpaulins to the victims
\nyesterday (Thursday). That's all the tarpaulins we could buy from
\nevery store in Karangasem,\" the regental administration's
\nspokesperson I Made Suama said on Friday.<\/p>\n
The windstorm that sporadically hit four regencies in Bali
\ndamaged at least 2,135 houses, 268 of them were completely
\ndestroyed. The disaster also ruined 12 school buildings.<\/p>\n
The villages of Bukit, Seraya Timur, Seraya Barat,
\nTegallinggah and Seraya Tengah were the hardest hit areas.<\/p>\n
In East Java, three cabinet ministers visited on Friday three
\ndistricts in Mojokerto regency, which have been drowned by flood
\nsince Wednesday.<\/p>\n
During the visit, Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla,
\nMinister of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno and
\nMinister of Information and Communication Syamsul Mu'arif said
\nthe central government would take every measure to prevent flood
\nin the future.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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