Floods in Padang City: 3 Sub-districts Affected, Several Motorcycles Swept Away

Heavy rainfall triggered flooding that affected three sub-districts in Padang City, West Sumatra. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) deployed a joint team to evacuate affected residents using boats after floodwaters inundated residential areas and access roads. Abdul Muhari, Head of the BNPB Data, Information, and Disaster Communication Centre, stated that the flooding was caused by high-intensity rain that fell over Padang City from 11:00 to 17:00 WIB on Monday (3/8). He explained that the prolonged heavy rain caused water to overflow into residential areas and major roads at several points. In response, the Padang City Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) joint team deployed polyethylene boats to evacuate residents to safety. According to data from the Padang City BPBD, the flooding impacted three sub-districts: Kuranji, Koto Tangah, and Bungus Teluk Kabung. In Kuranji District, affected areas included Lapau Munggu Village, Wahana Complex, Kampuang Tanjung, Pasar Lalang, and Gunung Sarik. In Koto Tangah District, floodwaters submerged Aia Pacah Village, the area behind the regional public hospital, and Green Mandiri Housing. In Bungus Teluk Kabung District, flooding was reported across five villages. The BNPB Operations Control Directorate also received reports from field officers that strong flood currents on several roads had swept away several motorcycles belonging to residents. Abdul reported that rain was still falling over parts of Padang City as of Monday evening, meaning water levels at several points had not yet receded while the process of recording victims and losses was still ongoing. He urged residents in vulnerable areas to continue monitoring official information from the local government and BPBD and to immediately follow instructions from officers if evacuation is required for public safety. The BNPB assessed that public vigilance needs to be continuously heightened following an extreme weather early warning from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). Previously, the BMKG Meteorology Directorate detected the emergence of Tropical Cyclone Seed 94W in the Philippine Sea, which has the potential to increase the likelihood of heavy rain in several regions, particularly across most of western Sumatra, during the period of 3-5 August.