Balikpapan's SAMS Sepinggan Airport Was Flooded Due To Heavy Rain And High Seas

One area of Balikpapan's SAMS Sepinggan Airport which was flooded on Thursday morning (25/8), due to heavy rain. (Ist/HO PR of SAMS Sepinggan Airport)

BALIKPAPAN - The management of Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport (SAMS) Sepinggan Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, has managed to deal with flooding in several airport areas due to heavy rains.

"Due to the high-intensity rain this morning, water had entered the courtyard of the arrival terminal. The overflow occurred at around 03.00 WITA, but the officers were quick to deal with the incoming water," said General Manager of SAMS Sepinggan Airport Balikpapan, Rika Danakusuma, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, August 25. .

High-intensity rainfall that flushed Balikpapan City on Thursday morning, or from 02.00 WITA to 04.30 WITA, caused several areas in Balikpapan to be flooded, including at SAMS Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan.

"The rain that does not stop has resulted in overflowing water in several areas of Balikpapan's SAMS Sepinggan Airport. The overflow is not only triggered by long and heavy rains, but also due to the obstruction of the water channel leading to the sea by the tide," he said.

Efforts made by the SAMS Sepinggan Airport officers in preventing deeper flooding were by opening the main floodgates in the Pick-Up Zone area to speed up the water absorption process.

"We also need to convey that the drainage system for the SAMS Sepinggan Airport is not blocked, but the slowness of the water to the sea is due to the high tide," he said.

Meanwhile, in an effort to keep airport operations going well, his party has taken mitigation in the form of temporarily closing the affected areas and opening emergency routes so that arriving passengers are not disturbed.

"The condition of overflowing water that entered the courtyard was gone at 08.12 WITA, even the area was clean and during the cleaning it did not interfere with airport operations," said Rika.

The day before, the BMKG Balikpapan Station issued an early warning, namely in the city of Balikpapan, moderate to heavy rain is expected to occur on Thursday morning.