More flooding, landslides may hit North Sulawesi

More flooding, landslides may hit North Sulawesi

Yongker Rumthe, The Jakarta Post, Manado

The North Sulawesi Meteorology and Geophysics Agency has warned
the people of Manado and North Sulawesi province of possible
flooding and landslides due to the torrential rain that has been
falling in the area recently.

The head of the agency, Suharjono, told The Jakarta Post in
Manado that fishermen should also be extra careful as large waves
of between two-and-a-half meters and four meters were predicted.

"Over the last ten years, precipitation has been reaching
between 300 millimeters and 400 millimeters annually," he said.
Normal rainfall in the province was between 120 millimeters and
130 millimeters.

"This month alone, precipitation amounted to 200 millimeters,"
Suharjono said.

The constant heavy rain in the provincial capital of Manado
has left 26 areas innundated with the floodwaters reaching an
average of 50 centimeters in depth.

The areas inundated include Karombasan Market, part of Pakowa,
part of Jl. Sam Ratulangi, the Pertamina and Malalayang housing
complexes, and the PAAL Dua area.

Motorists face difficulty driving in the Perkamil area as the
floodwaters have reached almost 50 centimeters in depth.

Some PAAL Dua residents have had to move in with relatives as
water from the Tondano river has flooded the area.

In Minahasa, some 40 kilometers away, surface transportation
has been affected as parts of the Trans-Sulawesi Highway remained
closed due to landslides.

"The highway in the villages of Munte and Amurang is totally
blocked," said Yus, a public transportation driver.

According to Suharjono, the rain will keep falling over the
next few days. Cloud formations that were likely to produce rain
were prevalent over Manado and many parts of North Sulawesi
province.

"The clouds will persist for several days, while the wind will
blow at between 30 kilometers and 40 kilometers per hour. Heavy
downpours are expected soon," he said. "Those living along
riverbanks must be extra careful as landslides are very possible
in heavy rain."

Last November, serious flooding hit Manado after precipitation
reached 120 millimeters in one hour. "In the last few days,
rainfall has reached 95 millimeters in one hour."

Eleven were killed by the November floods, which also
destroyed hundreds of houses. The Ranoyapo bridge in Minahasa
collapsed due to the floods.

Meanwhile, records kept by Manado's Environmental Control
Agency show that the city has 67 disaster-prone areas, 41 of
which are vulnerable to flooding and 26 of which are prone to
landslides.

Thirty of the 41 spots vulnerable to flooding are classified
as being frontline zones, or most vulnerable areas.

According to the Agency, the landslide-prone areas cover a
total of 692.26 hectares.

In the regency of Sangihe Talaud and the island of Siau in
North Sulawesi, landslides and floods that hit several villages
between last Wednesday and Saturday killed four people and
destroyed 62 houses.

All the victims were residents of Siau island.

The Disaster Monitoring Team's coordinator in Siau, Iverdixon
Tinungki, said on Monday that the regency had donated five tons
of rice and cash assistance to 105 people whose houses had been
destroyed by the mudflows. They were now sheltering in school
buildings and the homes of other residents.

The regency had also sent heavy equipment to repair damaged
infrastructure, he said. "But we are afraid that fresh landslides
and mudflows could happen at any time."