BNPB Records 197 Disasters Happened From 1 To 23 January

The condition of buildings destroyed by the earthquake in West Sulawesi (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) noted that 197 disasters occurred throughout Indonesia from January 1 to 23, 2021.

Quoted by Antara from the official BNPB statement on the Twitter page, Saturday, the majority of these disasters were hydrometeorological disasters or disasters that occurred as a result of meteorological / natural phenomena.

Flood disasters dominated 134 events, followed by landslides 31 events, and whirlwinds 24 events.

A series of disasters in early 2021 left 184 people dead, more than 2,700 injured, nine people were declared missing, and 1.9 million people were suffering and displaced.

When compared to the same period in January 2020, BNPB recorded 297 disasters at that time, including those in the spotlight, namely floods in the Jakarta area and its surroundings.

But on the other hand, the disaster earlier this year claimed more lives than a number of disasters in January 2020 which killed 91 people.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned of a worst-case scenario where a climate phenomenon occurs simultaneously is currently underway and also coincides with the peak of the rainy season.

This condition can have an impact on the weather in Indonesian territory, so it is necessary to watch out for the increase in the potential for hydro-meteorological disasters.

"Since October 2020, the BMKG has provided early warnings of the potential for extreme weather-related conditions due to various phenomena that are feared to coincide with the rainy season," said BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati.

BMKG predicts a number of regions need to be aware of the potential for extreme weather and the potential for flooding in the next few days.

This extreme rain has the potential to cause the impact of hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, flash floods, landslides that can endanger the public, as well as heavy rains accompanied by lightning / lightning and high waves that endanger shipping and aviation.