Landslides And Floods Often Hit, Trenggalek Sounds An Alarm For Hydrometeorological Disaster Preparedness

TRENGGALEK - The Trenggalek Regency Government, East Java, has set a hydrometeorological disaster alert status following extreme weather that has hit a number of areas in East Java since late October.

In the past week, the Trenggalek Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) recorded a number of landslides and floods in several sub-districts that claimed lives.

The Head of BPBD Trenggalek,ili Atmono, said that the preparedness steps were taken after four natural disasters occurred in the three sub-districts in the last two days.

"From this incident, two residents died and two others are still being searched after being buried by landslides in Depok Village, Bendungan District," said Munici in Trenggalek, Antara, Sunday, November 2.

He said high-intensity rainfall was the main trigger for landslides and floods that hit the area. A joint team has been deployed to carry out emergency handling, including cleaning up materials and searching for victims.

Landslides also occurred in Dawuhan Village and Dongko District, which caused several houses to be damaged and closed road access. Around 100 families were reported to have fled to a safe location while waiting for conditions to improve.

Meanwhile, in Trenggalek District, flooding due to the overflow of the Brangkal River inundated dozens of houses in Ngares and Dawuhan Villages. At least 165 people were affected, although there were no reports of casualties.

"We have sent heavy equipment to open road access that is blocked by landslides, while other teams are focused on helping flood-affected residents,"

He added that the Trenggalek BPBD is now strengthening coordination with all disaster-resilient sub-districts and volunteers in vulnerable areas, especially hilly areas and riverbanks.

Mitigation and early monitoring steps are taken to prevent more casualties.

"We urge the public to remain vigilant and not to move around steep slopes or river flows when heavy rains occur," he said.

Previously, BMKG Juanda warned of the potential for moderate to heavy rain accompanied by strong winds in the southern region of East Java, including Trenggalek, in the next week. This condition increases the risk of hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, landslides, and tornadoes.