Storm forecast spooks Yogya residents<\/p>\n
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
The provincial government and residents along the southern
\ncoastal of Yogyakarta are preparing for the worst following an
\nannouncement by officials that a storm is heading for the area.<\/p>\n
Government officials are preparing emergency shelters in the
\nareas expected to be affected, while residents and fishermen are
\npreparing to take refuge in safer places.<\/p>\n
Residents said that there had been natural warnings that a
\nstorm may hit the area in the very near future. In Gunung Kidul
\nregency, a very high tide some four meters high on Sunday ruined
\nparts of Parangracuk hill on the Gunung Kidul shoreline. On
\nTrisik beach, Kulonprogo regency, the abnormally high tide
\npenetrated far inland and caused flooding at a fish trading
\ncenter located some 500 meters from the beach.<\/p>\n
Weather at sea has apparently been getting hotter since
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Purwanto, 36, a resident of Srigading subdistrict, Bantul
\nregency, said that he and his family would take refuge at his
\nrelative's house in Bogor, West Java, on Monday for safety.<\/p>\n
\"Just consider it a family visit. We will spend a couple of
\ndays there,\" said Purwanto.<\/p>\n
Similarly, residents in Baron beach, Gunung Kidul regency,
\nhave also anticipated a worst-case scenario. Shops and the hawker
\ncenter along the beach have been deserted since Saturday as
\nowners and staff evacuate.<\/p>\n
Boats were hardly to be seen along the beach with most
\nfishermen relocating them to their houses inland. \"None of
\nfishermen dare go to sea,\" said Totok Suharyanto, a subdistrict
\nofficial at Kemaceng subdistrict, Gunung Kidul regency.<\/p>\n
Governments in Kulonprogo and Bantul regencies have prepared
\nemergency shelters near beach areas in anticipation of flooding
\nin the wake of the expected storm.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Suwondo, the head of Wonosari subdistrict, Gunung
\nKidul regency, said that the subdistrict had gathered data on
\ncaves that could be used by residents to shelter from the storm.
\n\"Caves are the safest place for people in storms,\" said Suwondo.<\/p>\n
The precautionary measures were taken by the governments and
\nresidents following an announcement by the Yogyakarta provincial
\ngovernment and the Meteorology and Geophysics Office (BMG) that a
\nstorm would soon strike the region.<\/p>\n
The storm is currently in Australian waters and is expected to
\nmove towards Indonesia by the middle of February, BMG said.<\/p>\n
The forecast has sparked apprehension as large numbers of
\npeople will be traveling in the coming days due to Chinese and
\nIslamic New Year holidays on Wednesday and Thursday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/storm-forecast-spooks-yogya-residents-1447893297",
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