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.