Rob Flood Potential Is Still High, BNPB Reminds Local Governments To Respond Quickly

Residents ride rickshaws through tidal flooding in Eretan Wetan Village, Kandanghaur, Indramayu, West Java, Monday, January 14, 2025. (ANTARA PHOTO-Dedhez Anggara)

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reminded local governments (Pemda) to be responsive in overcoming the potential for tidal waves in coastal areas as weather forecasters have informed them.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center Abdul Muhari said, entering the third week of January, the wet hydrometeorological disaster still dominated a number of areas in the country which resulted in thousands of houses being submerged and thousands of people affected.

Based on a report compiled by BNPB since Monday, January 13, the tidal wave hit a number of areas, one of which was in Subang Regency, West Java, and is still hitting Pelatar II, Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands - the northern coastal area of Jakarta.

He said Subang Regency was the area most affected in this tidal incident, where 1,971 families or 6,373 residents suffered.

In addition, material losses were recorded in 1,845 houses, one educational facility, 150 hectares of submerged rice fields, and 170 hectares of ponds in Subang were also submerged.

BNPB confirmed that the distribution area affected by flooding in the coastal area included the villages of Manyangan, Legon Wetan, Legon Kulon, Pangarengan Tegalurung in Legon Kulon District and Anggarsari Village in Sukasari District, Subang Regency.

"This condition is triggered by the high intensity of rain with a long duration, and still has the potential to occur in the next week so we still have to increase our vigilance," he said in Jakarta, Tuesday, January 14, as reported by Antara.

The form of vigilance that local governments can do, among others, he said, is to deploy officers to monitor river/sea water discharge in coastal areas, ensure the reliability of embankments/talud so as to avoid damage that can exacerbate the impact of flooding on the local community.

This tidal potential has previously been informed through an early warning published intensively over the past two weeks by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

The early warning of the tidal wave potential targets the coastal areas of the Riau Islands, Riau, West Sumatra, Jambi, Bangka Belitung Islands, Lampung, Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, West Nusa Tenggara, South Kalimantan, Maluku and North Maluku.

The BMKG explained in detail that this condition was triggered by a number of atmospheric dynamics within the region or around Indonesia, such as the presence of Tropical Cyclone 97S Seeds in the southwestern Indian Ocean of Banten with a maximum wind speed of 20 knots and air pressure of 1,002 hPa.

Suspected tropical disturbance areas were also found in the southern waters of West Nusa Tenggara with a maximum wind speed of 15 knots and a minimum air pressure of 1,005 hPa.

Wind convergence from the southern Indian Ocean Java - Sawu Sea and cyclonic circulation is predicted to be elongated from the waters in the southwest Indian Ocean of Aceh and northern Papua.

In the early warning, BMKG also stated that in addition to potentially disrupting community activity activities because the residential area was inundated with tidal waves, it also has the potential to interfere with loading and unloading activities at ports and smooth activities of salt pond business actors to freshwater or sea fish in coastal areas.

All shipping activities are also asked to be aware of the potential for high sea waves which are estimated to reach 4-6 meters due to an increase in wind speed of 25 knots in the Andaman Sea, North Aceh Sea, South China Sea, North Malacca Strait on Monday, January 13, for the next few days.