Floods hit city after overnight downpour
JAKARTA (JP): Several areas of the city were flooded yesterday after an overnight downpour, which caused traffic congestion in several streets and forced many families to abandon their homes.
Vehicles moved slowly in inundated streets such as Jl. Sabang and Jl. Kwitang in Central Jakarta, Jl. D.I. Panjaitan, Jl. Kayu Putih Raya and Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan in East Jakarta. The rain started at 9 p.m. Monday.
Floods in the Petamburan subdistrict, Tanah Abang, in Central Jakarta and Mangga Dua Selatan in West Jakarta were reported as rising up to 40 centimeters.
In North Jakarta, flooding also occurred in several subdistricts: Kelapa Gading Timur, Pegangsaan Dua, Sunter Jaya, Pademangan Barat, Pejagalan, Pluit and Penjaringan, where water was between 30 to 100 cm deep.
In South Jakarta, water in several subdistricts, such as Gunung Kebon Baru, Rawa Barat, Petogogan, Grogol Utara, Pancoran, and Bangka Mampang, was reported to reach 100 cm.
No casualties have been reported.
East Jakarta, the largest mayoralty where three rivers -- Ciliwung, Cipinang and Sunter -- pass through, was also hit. The overflowing rivers, clogged by waste, have been blamed as the main cause of floods in the areas. Many houses here are also erected along the riverbanks.
In Kramat Jati, the water rose to 80 cm and forced 1,600 people from 450 families to leave their homes and take refuge in the nearby Al Awadin mosque. Several mosques, two elementary schools and a junior high school in the area were also flooded.
"By 2:30 p.m., the water level was recorded at 60 cm," Sulaiman, an official from the city public order, said yesterday.
In the Dukuh subdistrict, the flood reached 40 cm and hit about 40 houses; the 120 residents refused to leave their homes.
More than 205 families in the Ujung Menteng subdistrict and 50 families in Rambutan subdistrict could not leave their homes.
In Cipinang subdistrict, the flood hit more than 980 houses. Some of them had to abandon their homes in rubber dinghies.
The floods subsided in the afternoon, Sulaiman said.
Last year the mayoralty set up seven task force teams and installed early warning systems at the seven subdistricts most vulnerable to flooding. These are Balekambang, Cawang, Bidara Cina, Kampung Melayu, Cipinang Besar, Cipinang Muara and Pulogadung.
Eight other lower areas are also prone to inundation. These are the subdistricts of Rambutan, Kampung Makasar, Kebon Pala, Halim, Kebon Nanas, Rawamangun, Pulomas and Perintis Kemerdekaan.
At least 20 people died when the floods hit the city in February last year. Some said the flood was the worst in decades.
Residents of Jakarta were warned of floods earlier this year by the city's weather forecasting and meteorology office.
Head of the office Endro Santoso warned heavy rainfall from January to February could trigger massive flooding.
Rainfall exceeding 100 millimeters per day had the potential to cause widespread flooding, he said. Based on rainfall data at the city's weather forecasting and meteorology office, the average monthly rainfall in Jakarta is 220 mm in December, 417 mm in January and 310 mm in February. (ste/byi)