The Need For Preparedness After Early Warning For Flood Alert From BMKG

Floods in Jabodetabek. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) admits that the initial information or forecasts issued by it regarding the potential for flooding have not been utilized properly. BMKG's Head of Dissemination of Climate and Air Quality Information, Harry Tirto Djatmiko, confirmed this.

BMKG has also provided direct information to the public through applications and social media related to early warning. Not only that, warnings were also given to related agencies such as the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and local governments in the form of an early warning system. This is done, with the hope that flooding can be anticipated.

"BMKG has such good information, but it is not utilized properly," he said, when met in Bidara Cina, Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta, Saturday, January 4.

Harry explained, BMKG continues to provide early warning regularly every day and three days. Regarding the natural phenomenon of extreme rain which has the potential to flood on the night of the end of 2019 to early 2020, BMKG has given a warning long beforehand, namely since December 27, 2019.

Early warning weather in the JABODETABEK area [December 27, 2019] #BMKGS For details, click the following link https://t.co/bD8yMkf1nX

- BMKG (@infoBMKG) December 27, 2019

BMKG also provides information on chain messages in whatsapp groups, as well as SMS. The message was conveyed to government stakeholders. At that time, the information conveyed was the dominance of moderate, heavy to very heavy rain.

"This is what the public needs to know. The key word, if the BMKG has issued an early warning which is three hours more than four times, and it rains more than three hours or even five hours. So alertness is increased to alertness," he explained.

On the other hand, Harry admitted that he did not know whether the information released by his party was followed up by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and its surroundings or not. However, what is clear is that early warning information has been delivered from December 28 to 31, 2019.

BNPB Operations Control Center Bambang Surya Putra explained that early warning information received from BMKG was directly forwarded to the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), other BNPB ranks, and institutions. BNPB has also visited BPBD DKI Jakarta and asked to hold a rally to meet the extreme weather on December 27, 2019.

"But maybe it was just being planned, suddenly the rainfall was so high," he said.

Bambang gave an example, especially for large areas such as Jakarta, Bogor, there should be a flood warning siren located around the river. The siren should have sounded if the water level was above average or a flood had arrived. If the sirens sound, the people must begin to be evacuated.

However, he admitted, he had not asked the public whether they heard the sirens sounding during the flood on January 1. Bambang also admitted that the early warning system was not as expected.

"The warning should be accepted on an individual basis, meaning that everyone has the right to receive this information. But if we look at this condition, it means that it is a bit far from expectations," he said.

According to Bambang, especially in Jakarta regarding early warning messages in the form of SMS and sirens. "But I don't really understand whether the siren (warning) went off at that time," he explained.

DKI Pemprov Claims Not to Be Late to Issue Early Warning for Floods

Secretary of the DKI Jakarta Water Resources Agency, Dudi Gardesi Asikin, denied that the local government was late in giving early flood warnings on January 1. He explained that the flood this time came from local rain in Jakarta so that puddles appeared quickly.

"The flood conditions that occurred in the new year were indeed our early warning was not included in the late category. Due to local rain, we had a warning" he said.

Early warning of flooding that will be given to the community 9 to 12 hours beforehand, it is common if you see the conditions at Katulampa Dam, Bogor is already on standby. In that condition, officers will immediately evacuate residents along the Ciliwung river. However, during this flood, heavy rains occurred locally in the Jakarta area with an average of 270 mm.

"If the rain is heavy and local like that, it's our first experience," he said.

Current conditions at Manggarai Water Gate on 01/01/20, 04.30 WIB TMA: 895 cm Status: Alert 2 Weather: rainy @ aniesbaswedan @ kompascom @ detikcom @ DKIJakarta # jakartaberkolabo2asi #fastresponjkt #operasisiagaib kota #pasukanbiru #sumberdaya pic .twitter.com / RFZ3nNaDjG

- DinasSumberDayaAir (@DinasSDAJakarta) December 31, 2019

The condition was exacerbated by heavy rains that had occurred a few days earlier. According to Dudi's confession, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government has not finished drying, then it was added by heavy rains at the beginning of the year.

"So the condition of our channel is still full, we haven't had time to empty it because many areas are inundated," he explained.

When heavy rains with a long duration from the afternoon to the morning on New Year's Eve make flooding inevitable. On December 31, it was no longer the branches that got carried away and clogged the channel, but the ruins of the houses of the residents who lived on the edge of the Ciliwung River. Dudi denied that the DKI Pemprov was stuttering in dealing with local floods like this.

"No stuttering disaster. This is indeed an extraordinary occurrence. I am not an expert regarding the current rainy period. But according to my staff who calculate the rainfall is extreme," he said.