Three villages in West Aceh begin to flood due to overflowing rivers

The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of West Aceh Regency has begun deploying personnel after three villages in Pante Ceureumen District were inundated by floodwaters ranging from 20 to 49 centimetres in height. “This overflow flooding occurred due to high rainfall over the past two days,” said Acting Head of BPBD West Aceh Regency, Teuku Ronal Nehdiansyah, to reporters on Sunday evening. The villages that began flooding on Sunday afternoon include Canggai, Lawet, and Seumantok, as well as several other locations around Pante Ceureumen District, West Aceh Regency. According to him, the flooding was purely triggered by extreme weather conditions affecting the upstream and downstream areas of West Aceh in the last 48 hours. He stated that the high rainfall over the past two days began to cause rivers to overflow. This condition occurred due to the overflow of the Meureubo River (Krueng Meureubo) on Sunday afternoon. Teuku Ronal said the water level is currently still at ankle to calf height for adults. Although water has entered yards and some residents’ houses, the situation is still considered relatively safe and under control. He noted that no residents have evacuated to emergency posts so far. Residents are still choosing to stay in their respective homes while securing valuable belongings. BPBD West Aceh is currently keeping personnel on standby in the field to monitor water levels periodically. Given the ongoing potential for rain, residents along the Meureubo River basin are urged to remain alert to the possibility of a sudden, higher rise in water levels. BPBD West Aceh stated it will soon provide periodic data updates regarding the extent of the affected area and the total number of households suffering losses due to this disaster, according to Teuku Ronal.