Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Floods have become an all too familiar disaster for Jakartans. When tragedy struck this year, however, the floodwaters turned out to be the worst ever.

Many who have grown accustomed to the annual phenomenon could not conceal their shock when they realized the scope of the devastation – both in material destruction, and lives lost. Some saw a gloomy future ahead. On the brink of bankruptcy, they have no idea what to do next.

For 55-year-old Ibu Li Li, a resident of Jl. Teluk Gong's Chinatown in North Jakarta, business will never be the same. She could only sit remorsefully on the balcony of her two-story house on Monday and watch hopelessly as receding floodwaters allowed her to see her ruined sundries stored downstairs for the first time since the disaster struck.

The water also submerged her Toyota Corolla sedan and Yamaha RX King parked in the garage. "The five-day flooding has caused me great loss. For so long, I have always depended on my sundries store. Now I no longer have the only source of income. I've lost at least Rp 1 million [US$96] worth of daily income, not to mention my store products and properties," she said bitterly.

Li Li said that if the rain was still falling and the water still high by next week, she would become bankrupt. She also voiced unhappiness of the specter of not being able to properly celebrate the Chinese New Year on February 12.

Most Chinese residents in Teluk Gong had businesses out of their homes, selling sundries made of plastic and glass which employed at least 30 workers. Li Li is not alone. In fact, there are many more people whose fate is just as terrible, if not worse.

The recent floods, the worst in the city's history, have affected about 400,000 people across the city. It has also hit some elite residential areas such as Kalapa Gading in North Jakarta, Kebon Jeruk in West Jakarta, Kemang in South Jakarta, and Cibubur in East Jakarta. A number of roads in Central Jakarta have also been inundated.

But most of the victims are low-income people in densely-populated areas, and it is this section of the population that are hardest hit. Most of them are now homeless and have been left with just the clothes they are wearing. The disaster occurred so swiftly and unexpectedly that many did not even have enough time to save their belongings.

Jamu gendong (herbal medicine seller) Suminem, along with her husband Supriadi, a bakso (meatball) vendor and their three teenagers, all residents of Bukit Duri subdistrict in South Jakarta, said they lost just about everything they had worked for over the last 25 years. The family was unable to save their belongings when the strong waters began to rise on Monday because their house was located in a narrow, remote alley in their neighborhood.

"I had thought the water level would only reach 50 centimeters – just like previous years. But I was wrong," she said, tearfully. "The flood totally submerged my house. My television set, refrigerator, gas stove and radio have all been swamped by the floods. Our hard work for 25 years vanished in just half an hour. The worst part is, my husband's bakso cart, our financial backbone, was also lost." Being a refugee, Suminem could only bring herself. However, she said she still felt grateful to have second-hand clothes available. She received them as charity from donors.

Like many other victims, Suminem saw a bleak future ahead. With her bank account book lost during the flood, she has no idea what to do to get by in the next few weeks. Waiting for help and charity was all she could do – just like others.