Malut Residents Asked to Be Alert to the Impact of La Nina, Governor Urges to Avoid Hills

Extreme rain weather hit North Maluku (Malut). (ANTARA-HO-BMKG Ternate)

North Maluku (Malut) Governor Sherly Tjoanda asked his citizens to be aware of the impact of the La Nina phenomenon which still has the potential to affect weather patterns in Indonesia, including in the Malut area.

"In addition to the rainfall factor, I exemplified the flooding that recently hit the North Halmahera and West Halmahera regions as an impact of high rainfall intensity," he said in Ternate, Friday, quoted by Antara.

According to him, this experience should be an important lesson for all elements of society to increase vigilance and preparedness from an early age.

On that occasion, the Malut Governor specifically asked the public to temporarily avoid activities in coastal areas and hilly areas when extreme weather conditions occur.

"High waves, strong winds, and potential landslides are considered to endanger the safety of residents," he said.

He also reminded the public to stay away from trees that are prone to falling, especially during heavy rain accompanied by strong winds. In addition, residents who are active on land, sea, and air are urged to always monitor weather forecasts before traveling.

The Governor also emphasized the importance of obtaining information from official sources to avoid the spread of false or hoax news that could cause panic among the community.

"We ask the public to only follow official information from BMKG and BPBD. Don't easily believe in information that is not clear about its truth," said the Malut Governor.

As a concrete step, the Malut Governor conveyed six points of appeal to the people of North Maluku, namely recognizing the potential for disasters in the surrounding environment, evacuating to the designated point if a disaster occurs, avoiding activities in coastal areas and hills during extreme weather, staying away from trees that are prone to falling, always monitoring weather forecasts before activities and following official information only from BMKG and BPBD.

The Malut Governor hopes that all elements of the community can synergize and take care of each other for mutual safety.