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."