Bardjan, Jakarta – Flooding has inundated 18 villages across nine subdistricts in Aceh Tamiang, Aceh, Indonesia, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate after heavy rain caused rivers to overflow and embankments to collapse.
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has forecast more heavy rain across much of Aceh over the next two days.
Flooding forces hundreds to evacuate
Aceh Tamiang Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) head Iman Suhery said on Monday, October 12, that flooding began after heavy rain on Sunday evening, October 11. Tenggulun was the worst-affected subdistrict, with five villages inundated.
Flooding affected nine subdistricts, including Tenggulun, Tamiang Hulu, Bendahara and Kuala Simpang. In Tamiang Hulu, hundreds of residents from Rongoh and Bandar Khalifah villages evacuated as water levels reached 1 to 1.5 meters.
Access to Simpang Kiri village in Tenggulun was cut off as floodwater and debris made roads impassable. In Marlempang village, Bendahara, a 30-meter section of river embankment collapsed, inundating homes and hundreds of hectares of farmland.
Village head Arif Pradana said water reached 30 to 50 centimeters in residential areas after the embankment broke at around 4 p.m. local time on Sunday. Two other sections of the embankment, about 500 meters from the breach, had also developed cracks, raising concerns about further flooding.
Disaster management and rescue teams are assessing damage and helping evacuate residents. Authorities have deployed heavy equipment to repair the damaged embankment. Residents have sought refuge on higher ground, including in mosques, schools and relatives' homes, Iman said.
BMKG warns of more heavy rain
The flooding comes as BMKG forecasts moderate to heavy rain across much of Aceh, with some areas also facing strong winds. Forecaster Nasyithah Az-zahra Lubis said the weather was influenced by an active equatorial Rossby wave, wind shifts and convergence zones that support the formation of rain clouds.
Warm sea surface temperatures in the western Indian Ocean off Sumatra and in waters east of Aceh could also increase atmospheric moisture and contribute to rainfall, she said.
On Monday, rain accompanied by strong winds was forecast in 14 areas, including Aceh Tamiang, Aceh Besar, East Aceh and Gayo Lues. The agency also predicted rain across several districts and cities on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 13-14.
BMKG said rain was generally more likely from afternoon through evening and urged residents to prepare for sudden downpours. It advised people to exercise caution when traveling during bad weather and to stay away from rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other waterways during intense or prolonged rainfall.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2121425/floods-hit-18-villages-in-aceh-as-bmkg-warns-of-more-heavy-rai