Tuntang River Embankment Breached, Thousands of Residents Affected by Flooding in Grobogan and Demak

Flooding inundated Tinanding Village, Gubug Sub-district, Grobogan Regency, Central Java, on Tuesday (17 February 2026). According to preliminary data compiled by the Operations Control Centre of the Regional Disaster Management Agencies (BPBD) of Grobogan and Demak up to 07:00 Western Indonesian Time, the flooding caused by two breach points along the Tuntang River embankment affected a total of approximately 3,924 people across several villages in Demak and Grobogan regencies, in addition to severing the main Semarang-Purwodadi road.

The embankment of the Tuntang River in Kebonagung Sub-district, Demak Regency, breached on Monday afternoon (16 February 2026). Two breach points were identified in Tinanding and Pilangwetan villages, each spanning approximately 25 metres.

The flooding was triggered by heavy rainfall from 21:00 on 15 February to 05:00 on 16 February 2026 in the Grobogan area, compounded by water surges from the upstream reaches of the Glugu, Jajar, and Tuntang rivers, which overwhelmed the rivers’ capacity. The intense rainfall and high water volumes also caused embankment failures along the Cabean, Jajar, Jratun, and Tuntang rivers.

A total of 42 villages across 10 sub-districts in Grobogan Regency were inundated, with at least nine thousand families affected. The ten affected sub-districts were Kedungjati, Tegowanu, Gubug, Purwodadi, Karangrayung, Geyer, Toroh, Pulokulon, Penawangan, and Godong.

The flooding triggered by the Tuntang River embankment breach not only submerged residential areas and educational facilities but also cut off the main road linking Grobogan to Semarang city. Water levels across the affected areas varied between 20 and 60 centimetres.

For emergency repairs over the following three days, the Pemali-Juana River Basin Authority (BBWS) planned to seal the breached embankment using bamboo piles, coconut palm logs, and jumbo bags made of geotextile material filled with earth. “Once the embankment is sealed, we will then reinforce it using gabion baskets on the outer side of the embankment,” an official stated.

Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi personally chaired an emergency flood response coordination meeting at the Gubug Sub-district Office on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, emphasising swift action for affected residents whilst also pushing for a long-term solution through river normalisation.

Short-term priorities included the distribution of food aid and logistics, the provision of stationery and school supplies, and the registration of farmers for crop failure insurance claims.

For the long-term solution, Ahmad Luthfi called for the normalisation of the Tuntang River to be carried out without delay, noting that the central government had already allocated a budget for the normalisation works in 2026 and that implementation was pending.