Dayat, Padang, W – Sumatra. The recent floods and landslides across Sumatra have claimed at least 604 lives, with 464 people still missing and more than 570,000 displaced, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB). The disasters, caused by Cyclone Senyar between November 19 and 28, have wreaked havoc on North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh, destroying homes, infrastructure, and farmland.
West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah has urged the central government to declare the calamity a national disaster, citing the scale of physical damage and the high death toll. "With the extent of destruction and the number of casualties, we believe handling this disaster requires full support from the central government," Mahyeldi said on Monday.
In West Sumatra alone, 129 people lost their lives and more than 30,000 buildings – including homes, schools, hospitals, and key infrastructure – have been damaged. Around 13,000 hectares of farmland were also affected. Early estimates put the financial losses at roughly Rp 1.2 trillion ($78 million).
Authorities have evacuated approximately 130,000 residents to temporary shelters. Governor Mahyeldi said post-disaster recovery is expected to take a long time, complicated further by planned budget efficiency measures for 2026. "Recovery is not immediate. Beyond emergency response, long-term planning is necessary to allow communities to resume daily activities safely," he said.
Provincial officials are not only restoring access to cut-off areas and evacuating victims, but are also preparing plans to relocate residents living in high-risk zones to safer areas identified through disaster mapping.
Despite calls from local leaders, President Prabowo Subianto has indicated that he does not intend to declare the flooding a national emergency at this time. Indonesia categorizes emergencies by scope – from city or regency level, to provincial, and then national – considering factors such as death toll, financial losses, infrastructure damage, and socio-economic impact. Only major crises such as the 2004 Aceh tsunami and the COVID-19 pandemic have previously been elevated to national emergency status.
The floods and landslides, fueled by Cyclone Senyar, unleashed flash floods, mudslides, and high winds, disrupting communications, transportation, and logistics throughout the affected regions. Authorities are continuing rescue operations, delivering aid, and working to restore access to isolated communities.