Extreme Weather: Padang Residents Urged to Be Vigilant Against Hydrometeorological Disasters
The Padang City Government is increasing its preparedness for potential extreme weather predicted to affect the city and its surrounding areas. Residents are being asked to heighten their vigilance and avoid activities in locations at risk of hydrometeorological disasters, particularly coastal areas, regions prone to falling trees, and areas with potential for flooding or landslides.
This anticipatory measure follows a forecast from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) indicating that Padang could experience moderate to heavy rain, accompanied by lightning and strong winds.
Padang Mayor Fadly Amran stressed that public safety is the government’s top priority. He urged residents to continuously monitor weather developments and reduce outdoor activities if conditions worsen.
“The safety of the community is our main priority. We urge all residents to remain vigilant, especially those in coastal areas, near dense trees, or in other disaster-prone locations,” Fadly said on Monday (6/7).
He noted that heightened awareness is necessary because the extreme weather coincides with the school holiday period and weekends, which could increase the number of visitors at various tourist attractions, especially beaches.
To anticipate these risks, the Padang city administration has instructed the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) and the Disaster Preparedness Groups (KSB) to strengthen monitoring and provide direct appeals to the public in the field.
“We have ordered BPBD and KSB personnel, especially in the Air Manis Beach area and other coastal tourist sites, to move quickly and urge visitors to move to higher ground and away from the shoreline to anticipate potential high waves,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Head of the Padang City BPBD, Hendri Zulviton, reported that as of Sunday afternoon, his office had only received one report of a fallen tree in the Simpang Haru area caused by strong winds. The BPBD’s Rapid Response Team was deployed to the location for evacuation, and access has since returned to normal.
“Thankfully, there have been no reports of flooding, houses being hit by trees, or landslides. Nevertheless, we ask coastal communities to remain alert as strong winds can trigger high waves,” he said.
The Padang City BPBD has confirmed that all personnel are on 24-hour standby to anticipate potential hydrometeorological disasters. The city government also urges the public to immediately report any emergency incidents or potential disasters through official government channels so that handling can be carried out swiftly and appropriately.