BPBD records 242 homes damaged by tornado in Cirebon

The Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Cirebon Regency, West Java, has recorded 242 residential units damaged by a tornado that struck two sub-districts in the area on Wednesday, 11 March in the afternoon.

Hadi Eko, Head of Emergency and Logistics at Cirebon Regency’s BPBD, stated that the extreme weather event occurred around 3:20 PM local time, when heavy rain accompanied by strong winds hit several residential areas. “From preliminary data collection until 10:35 PM, 242 residential units have been recorded as affected with varying degrees of damage,” Eko said when contacted in Cirebon on Wednesday.

He explained that the incident began when Gunung Jati and Suranenggala sub-districts were covered by thick black clouds, indicating unstable weather conditions. “The disaster impacted two sub-districts, namely Suranenggala and Gunung Jati in Cirebon Regency,” he said.

The wind gusts caused numerous roof tiles to come loose and scatter, damaging the roofs of many houses in the affected areas. In addition to residential damage, the event caused approximately 20 trees to fall at several points, temporarily disrupting road access and community activities.

Overall, the incident affected 498 households, totalling 1,455 people living in the two sub-districts. Public facilities reported damage, including SD Muara Wetan 1, SD Mertasinga, TK Mertasinga, and several prayer rooms such as Al-Hidayah, Nurul Huda, and Mushola Mertasinga.

Cirebon Regency’s BPBD confirmed no reports of fatalities or injuries, despite the disaster causing widespread damage. “The BPBD’s Pusdalops team is still conducting data collection and assessment for further response measures at the affected location,” Eko said.