Flood Anomalies Hit Multiple Indonesian Regions During Dry Season

Indonesia is currently in the dry season, yet flood anomalies have been reported in a number of regions. Flooding has occurred in Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra; Agam, West Sumatra; and Sinjai, South Sulawesi, forcing affected residents to evacuate. “There was an anomalous event, namely a flash flood in Agam Regency,” said Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB Data, Information and Communication Centre, in a written statement on Sunday (19/7/2026). The flash flood in Agam was triggered by high-intensity rainfall and the shallowing of the Batang Tumayo River, causing water to overflow into residential areas. Video footage from BNPB showed brown water flowing swiftly in front of houses and entering homes. Abdul Muhari stated that 90 families were affected, and 450 residents temporarily evacuated, returning home as the floodwaters receded by early morning. He urged residents to remain vigilant and monitor official information sources. In Central Tapanuli, heavy rain caused a flash flood on Friday (17/7), affecting 200 families in Sipange sub-district after an emergency embankment on the Aek Silaga Laga River collapsed. Floodwaters began to recede by Sunday (19/7), with 145 residents sheltering in a church building and a public kitchen established. Meanwhile, flooding in Sinjai, South Sulawesi, submerged several government offices, including the Regent’s official residence, with water levels reaching 40 centimetres to one metre. The flood occurred early on Sunday morning due to heavy rain since Saturday night, causing the Tangka River and its tributaries to overflow. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued extreme weather warnings for heavy to very heavy rain in North Sumatra and South Sulawesi, along with alerts for other provinces including Aceh, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Jakarta, West Java, East Java, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Bangka Belitung Islands, Riau Islands, Maluku, North Maluku, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, West Papua, Papua Highlands, Riau, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, and West Sumatra.