Avolua Residents in Parigi Moutong Forced to Evacuate After Flash Flood Strikes in Early Hours

The calm of midnight in Avolua Village, North Parigi District, Parigi Moutong Regency, suddenly turned to panic as heavy rain battered the area and triggered a flash flood on Wednesday (26/8) at around 01.00 WITA. River water rapidly overflowed into residential areas, striking Hamlet 2 and the Fishermen’s Housing complex, submerging 55 buildings. The disaster damaged 12 homes and brought down the fence of a durian factory in the vicinity. The flood also carried logs and mud that covered a 500-metre stretch of the Trans Sulawesi road.

Head of the Central Sulawesi Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Asbudianto, confirmed the severe impact of the disaster. A total of 68 families were directly affected, while 12 families were forced to evacuate to safe locations. “Our team immediately moved to conduct assessments and coordinate with the Parigi Moutong BPBD. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in this incident,” Asbudianto stated in Palu.

Although the floodwaters had receded by Wednesday morning, residents now face a new challenge. Thick mud still covers homes and the main access road. Affected residents urgently need assistance in the form of ready-to-eat meals, clean water, and evacuation tents. Infrastructure repairs and river normalisation are also pressing needs to prevent subsequent disasters.