Extreme Weather Triggers Landslides and Floods in Two Lembang Villages

Extreme weather in the form of heavy rainfall hitting the Lembang area in West Bandung Regency (KBB) triggered natural disasters in two villages over the past two days. Road access between villages was severed due to landslide debris, forcing over a dozen families to evacuate as their homes were flooded. The first incident occurred on Sunday (24 May) evening at the border of Kayuambon and Cibogo villages. A large bamboo clump collapsed along with soil, completely blocking the connecting road between the two villages. A Kayuambon resident, Oop Sutopa, said the fallen bamboo and soil immediately covered the road. Fortunately, the road was empty at the time, so no vehicles or residents were passing through. He added that one suspected factor causing the unstable ground was the widespread use of plastic mulch in vegetable gardens. During prolonged heavy rain, water fails to be fully absorbed into the soil, potentially triggering land movement. “This area has shown signs of landslide risk during the rainy season multiple times. Therefore, residents always remain vigilant, especially when rain falls into the night,” he said on Monday (25 May). Since Monday morning, residents and local authorities have been clearing bamboo and soil debris to restore road access for both two-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicles. “The soil around the area is highly unstable when continuously soaked by rain, so residents are always worried whenever heavy rain occurs,” he added. Poor Drainage Causes Flooding Two days earlier, on Saturday (23 May), a flash flood struck Kampung Andir RT 01 RW 15 in Gudangkahuripan Village, Lembang District. Eight homes housing 11 families were affected by the flood, with two suffering severe damage as walls collapsed under the flood’s force. Gudangkahuripan Village Head Agus Karyana explained that the flood was caused by extreme rainfall overwhelming the drainage system. “The flood occurred in the evening after heavy rain lashed the Lembang area. The stagnant water carried mud and submerged homes up to 60 centimetres,” Agus said. In addition to inundating residential areas, the flood also caused a retaining wall along the village access alley to collapse due to the strong current. Despite significant material losses, no casualties were reported in the series of disasters in the tourist area. “There were no fatalities,” he confirmed.