Storm sweeps three provinces

Storm sweeps three provinces

The Jakarta Post, Surabaya/Semarang/Mataram

Severe storms set off by Australia's Gusty Storm hit many parts
of Java and the province of West Nusa Tenggara on Tuesday and
Wednesday, claiming at least two lives, damaging hundreds of
houses and disrupting land and water transportation.

The worst cases occurred in the province of East Java, where
at least one toddler was killed as of Wednesday afternoon.

The storm also damaged 16 bridges, flooded dozens of castles
and hundreds of homes, and swept away 10 houses after heavy rains
and strong winds hit many parts of the province, including
Mojokerto, Pasuruan, Probolinggo, Malang, Batu and Jember
regencies.

The toddler, 2-year-old Rizki, was a resident of Godang
district in Mojokerto. Rizki was swept away by the flood and his
body has not yet been recovered.

The storms and ensuing floodwaters also cut major roads
connecting Jombang and Mojokerto, as well as several other
regencies.

Local residents have been forced to seek refuge in safer
areas, and some 150 residents from Suko district, Mojokerto, have
camped out at the regental administration's offices.

Suko is one of eight East Java districts that were hit hard by
floods.

Irfan, a Suko resident and refugee, said the flood initially
spread to his home on Tuesday night. "The water spread quickly.
My house was flooded in water one meter deep, so my family had to
stay awake all night atop several high tables," he said.

As of Wednesday, flooding had subsided in some areas, but dark
clouds and heavy rains remained in other areas, prompting local
residents to stay alert against further flooding.

Local residents in Gugut subdistrict, Jember, maintained their
vigilance: "If heavy rains again pound our village, Dinoyo River
will overflow and it will flood again," a resident was quoted by
Antara as saying.

In the East Java capital of Surabaya, East Java Governor Imam
Utomo promised that government aid would be distributed soon to
those areas affected by the floods.

"We have asked regental governments to provide data on the
victims of the disaster, so we can prepare adequate food and
medication.

"We will also repair the damaged bridges immediately, so
traffic in the province can return to normal soon," he said.

In Central Java, a storm along the northern coastal areas of
the province has caused flooding in Kendal and Grobogan
regencies, where hundreds of houses were underwater.

The floods cut traffic between the Central Java capital of
Semarang and neighboring Grobogan regency. Heavy rains also
caused a landslide in Gubug district, Grobogan, cutting the
railway route between Semarang and East Java capital Surabaya.

Driver Sutrisno, 30, was killed instantly when a large tree
fell onto his car on Jl. Wahidin in downtown Semarang.

The Semarang Meteorology and Geophysics Office said the storm
was caused by Gusty Storm, which moved up from Australia and
across eastern Indonesia.

"The wind, at speeds of 40 to 75 kilometers per hour, always
rises suddenly, so people must be on guard," said spokesman
Komaruddin.

In West Nusa Tenggara province, Gusty Storm halted maritime
traffic between Lembar Seaport, Lombok Island, and Padang Bay
Seaport, Bali, for 12 hours. At least eight ships were delayed
and hundreds of passengers were stranded by the storm.

Sutrisno, head of the local Meteorology and Geophysics Office
in Selaparang, predicted that the storms across the eastern part
of the archipelago would continue for another five to 10 days.