Thousands flee homes as floods paralyze Jakarta

Thousands flee homes as floods paralyze Jakarta

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Panic, fatigue and confusion were etched on Wagino's face, a
resident of Kalibata in East Jakarta whose house on the Ciliwung
river bank was swept away in Wednesday's floods.

"The flood came early at 3 a.m. and it destroyed most of my
house. I don't know where to go for temporary shelter," Wagino
said.

Wagino was not alone. Thousands of other Jakartans were forced
to leave their homes due to massive flooding that engulfed many
parts of the capital and paralyzed many roads in the city.

The official estimate reported that at least 8,000 residents
across the city were forced to flee to temporary shelters on
Wednesday as rainwater completely inundated their homes. No
fatalities were reported so far.

"We have received a report that floods have claimed one life.
The victim was reportedly electrocuted. But, we have yet to
verify the report," said the secretary of the city flood and
disaster mitigation task force, Soebagio.

The worst affected areas were Cipinang Besar Selatan, Kampung
Melayu Kecil, Pondok Bambu in East Jakarta, Rawa Jati, Bukit
Duri, Bidara Cina, Manggarai and Cipulir in South Jakarta,
Petamburan in Central Jakarta.

The water level reached up to three meters in Cililitan Kecil,
East Jakarta. Despite such dangerous water levels, some residents
insisted on staying on their roofs and refusing to leave their
homes for fear of looting.

Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso announced on Wednesday that the
flooding in the capital had reached a critical level, only a step
away from an emergency situation, when Jakarta residents living
in flood-prone areas must be evacuated.

Jakarta has 78 areas that are prone to flooding, most of which
are in North Jakarta.

"If heavy rain continues and the water level rises to an
alarming level, I will have no choice but to open the flood gate,
which may cause flooding in elite areas, including the State
Palace... I am sure that the President (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono)
would be able to understand this as an emergency situation," he
told reporters during his impromptu visit to the Manggarai flood
gate in South Jakarta.

Several temporary shelters prepared by the administration
could not accommodate the massive number of flood victims, so
many of them took up the sidewalks and edges of the road, like on
Jl. Jatinegara Barat in East Jakarta. In Cipinang Besar Selatan,
many residents even took refuge in the public cemetery.

Separately, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said
that the police would immediately set up command posts in all
flooded areas to help flood victims to evacuate and to supply
food.

"We will deploy most policemen in subprecincts in areas that
are affected by floods to help distribute food, evacuate victims,
prevent looting and handle traffic," Firman said.

Jl. Kalibata, Jl. Otto Iskandardinatta, Jl. Kampung Melayu
Besar, Jl. Jatinegara Barat, Jl. Daan Mogot and Jl. Cipulir Raya,
were completely closed to traffic on Wednesday morning as the
floods were too deep for vehicles to pass. Police rerouted the
traffic to alternative routes. Some motorists were seen leaving
their vehicles trapped in water.

"I decided not to go to the office today. I have been waiting
for transportation for hours, but no one wanted to pass the
inundated roads," said Neny, a resident of Pondok Kopi, East
Jakarta.

Flooding is an annual occurrence in Jakarta. The worst
flooding in recent history took place in 2002, killing 31 people
and forcing 300,000 residents to leave their homes.