Wild storm rips through Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After days of heat, a violet storm lashed Jakarta on Friday,
\nflooding streets and uprooting trees, causing massive traffic
\njams throughout the city and disrupting rail service.<\/p>\n
The storm toppled nearly 200 trees in the capital, 150 of them
\nin South Jakarta. Trees fell on houses in Kebayoran Baru,
\nincluding the house of the late Yoga Sugama, former chief of the
\nNational Intelligence Agency. The family estimated that falling
\ntrees caused Rp 200 million (US$23,810) in damage to their house
\nand a Mercedes-Benz E320.<\/p>\n
A large tree toppled onto a public bus traveling between Lebak
\nBulus in South Jakarta and Pulogadung in East Jakarta as it
\npassed along Jl. Radio Dalam. No injuries were reported in the
\naccident.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Park Agency head Sarwo Handhayani said the agency
\nwould likely offer compensation for the damage caused by the
\ntoppled trees. She also said the agency would plant new trees as
\nsoon as possible to replace those destroyed in the storm.<\/p>\n
Toppled trees in Kebayoran Baru and Pondok Indah caused
\nmassive traffic jams in the two areas and on the surrounding
\nstreets. As late as 9 p.m., traffic was still backed up in
\nKebayoran Baru, Pondok Indah, Slipi, Kebon Jeruk, Senayan, Karet
\nand Kebayoran Lama.<\/p>\n
Residents trying to make their way around the city today told
\nof being stuck in traffic for hours. To get from Kuningan to
\nSlipi took three and a half hours, while traveling from Pondok
\nIndah to Bendungan Hilir required five hours.<\/p>\n
Four sections of railroad -- Tanah Abang-Karet, Tanah Abang-
\nPalmerah, Kebayoran Lama-Pondok Ranji and Manggarai-Tanah Abang
\n-- were blocked by falling trees, preventing 10 electric commuter
\ntrains from operating between 2:30 p.m. and 4:05 p.m.<\/p>\n
Train operator PT KAI Jakarta's operational area spokesman,
\nZainal Abidin, said only the Manggarai-Tanah Abang route had
\ndifficulty resuming operation.<\/p>\n
"We moved the tree from the tracks but the train could not
\nmove because of a short circuit in the electrical system," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
A halt in the electricity supply also interrupted electric
\ncommuter trains traveling from Tanah Abang to Serpong, Tangerang,
\nfor several hours.<\/p>\n
Besides the heavy rain, a 10-minute hail storm also pounded
\ndown on parts of the capital, including Senayan and Bintaro. The
\nlast time Jakarta experienced hail was in 1993 in Klender, East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Rosdiani, a resident of Bintaro, told The Jakarta Post that
\nshe was shocked to see marble-sized hail hitting her roof.<\/p>\n
Another Bintaro resident, Dewi, said she ran out of her house
\nto see if the hail was causing any damage.<\/p>\n
The head of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency's forecast
\ndivision, Ahmad Zakir, said it was the heaviest downpour in the
\ncity since early 2002, when Jakarta was paralyzed by flooding.<\/p>\n
"We earlier forecast that there would be 26 consecutive days
\nof rain this month ...," he said.<\/p>\n
The BMG monitored Friday's storm, which dumped 120 millimeters
\nof rain per hour on the city, and said it was caused by tropical
\nstorm Linda.<\/p>\n
Zakir warned Jakartans that even heavier storms were expected
\nto hit the city next month.<\/p>",
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