High Rainfall, South OKU Residents Asked To Beware Of Flash Floods

Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of South Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Regency, South Sumatra (Sumsel), has asked residents to increase their vigilance to deal with potential flash flood disasters due to overflowing river water so as not to cause casualties.

Head of the South OKU BPBD Emergency and Logistics Division, Heri Purnomo in Muaradua, Sunday, February 18, said the high rainfall that has occurred since the last few days has the potential to cause flash floods in the area.

Moreover, he said, South OKU Regency is one of the areas in South Sumatra that is prone to flash floods, so it must be watched out for so as not to cause casualties.

Like the flash floods that hit hundreds of houses in six sub-districts in South OKU in early July 2023, he continued, it must be a lesson because it still leaves deep wounds for the community, especially the victims.

In fact, according to Heri Purnomo, a few days ago the same incident almost repeated, where a unit of a resident's house in Pulau Duku Village, Mekakau Ilir District, was flooded with a water level of up to one meter.

"Luckily, the flood did not cause any casualties. However, we must remain vigilant considering that high rainfall is predicted to continue for the next few days," he said.

As an effort to anticipate, his party has deployed personnel and established posts in a number of disaster-prone areas so that floods can be handled as early as possible, including his party preparing all disaster management equipment such as rubber boats and emergency tents to deal with potential natural disasters in the area.

"In addition, we carried out weather monitoring from the BMKG for 1x24 hours to continue early warnings to the public in South OKU Regency to remain vigilant," said Heri Purnomo.