Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Flash floods and landslides struck Central Tapanuli in North Sumatra, only two months after devastating floods triggered by Cyclone Senyar ravaged the region, forcing residents back into temporary shelters and destroying newly restored infrastructur
Local officials said the disaster hit on Wednesday night after torrential rain fell over the regency following a relatively clear and sunny day.
The extreme weather caused several rivers to overflow, sending a tide of logs and debris from upstream crashing into residential areas and public facilities. Floodwaters, ranging from 50 centimeters to 1 meter, inundated multiple villages.
"At least 12 districts were affected by the flooding, including those previously hit by the massive floods [caused by Senyar]," Central Tapanuli Regent Masinton Pasaribu said on Thursday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
The flooding damaged two emergency river levees in Tukka and Barus districts and washed away two temporary bridges in Sibabangun and Tapian Nauli, cutting off access to at least four villages.
"The river channels that we had recently normalized and widened, along with the emergency embankments we installed, collapsed in the flood. Emergency bridges built after the last disaster were also swept away," Masinton said.
In addition to the flooding, heavy rainfall on Wednesday triggered landslides in at least three locations across Central Tapanuli, burying key roads and cutting off access to several villages.
Masinton said that following the disasters, dozens of residents were evacuated to emergency shelters set up in public sports halls, community health centers and schools.
"Many residents are still experiencing trauma from the previous disaster. They are really scared at the moment," he added.
No casualties or injuries were reported in the disasters, according to the Central Tapanuli Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD).
Syaren Situmorang, a resident of Aek Tolang village in Pandan subdistrict, said he was caught off guard by the sudden flooding as the weather had been clear earlier in the day.
"Before the rain, the weather in Central Tapanuli was very clear. It only started raining in the late afternoon," Syaren said on Thursday.
He added that floodwaters at his home reached around 50 cm, but he and his family chose not to evacuate since only their yard was submerged.
Another resident, Bumbunan Siregar, who evacuated during the flood, said the waters on Wednesday rushed as violently as they had done during the flooding caused by Cyclone Senyar.
"My house was buried under mud and rocks," she said as quoted by Kompas TV.
Cyclone Senyar made landfall in northern and western parts of Sumatra on Nov. 25, 2025, bringing extreme rainfall and strong winds that triggered widespread flooding and landslides across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
At least 3.1 million people were affected, with 1,204 confirmed deaths, some 7,000 injured and around 140 still missing, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
Central Tapanuli was one of the hardest-hit areas in North Sumatra, recording the highest number of fatalities in the province.
According to the North Sumatra BPBD, the November disaster resulted in 133 deaths, 11 injuries and 38 people reported missing in Central Tapanuli.
Sri Wahyuni Pancasilawati, head of emergency response, equipment and logistics at the North Sumatra BPBD, said the floods that struck several areas in Central Tapanuli on Wednesday had fully receded by Friday.
"Today, the floodwaters have subsided, and all evacuees have returned to their homes," Sri Wahyuni told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
She added that no one remained in the emergency tents, except for around 460 residents displaced by the floods and landslides in November 2025.
"Efforts are underway to build both temporary and permanent housing for the evacuees to ensure that no one remains in tents by the start of Ramadan," she said.
Ramadan is expected to begin on Feb. 18 this year, pending the official moon sighting. (nal)