TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – High-intensity rains caused the Batang Sumpur River to overflow, resulting in flash flooding in five “nagari” in Sijunjung Regency, West Sumatra, on Monday night, November 11, at around 11:30 p.m. A nagari is a customary community unit in West Sumatra Province that has its own territorial boundaries, assets, and authority to regulate its own budget.
The five nagari affected by the flooding are Sumpur Kudus, South Sumpur Kudus, Silantai, Unggan, and Mangganti.
At 10:50 p.m., less than an hour before the flooding, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) for the West Sumatra region predicted that moderate to heavy rain accompanied by lightning and strong winds would occur at 11 p.m. in Sijunjung Regency. The heavy rain led to flash floods that swept in materials such as wood, rocks, soil, and gravel into residential areas.
Supriadi, a resident of Sumpur Kudus, said Silantai Nagari was the worst affected, with a mosque and the village headman’s office also inundated. “The worst hit is Silantai,” he told Tempo on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Henry Caniago, executive director of the Sijunjung Regency Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), said the floodwaters had begun to recede in the morning. Although there were no fatalities, the flood inundated residents’ homes and damaged several residential buildings. One house in Nagari Mangganti was completely swept away by the current.
Henry said that in addition to residents’ homes, the flash flood also drowned hundreds of acres of rice fields and affected thousands of livestock. Debris in the form of wood, rocks, and mud washed into residents’ homes, making the damage worse.
The Sijunjung BPBD, together with the local government, continues to gather information on the damages suffered by the community. Residents are advised to stay alert to the possibility of further flooding, as extreme weather conditions still have the potential to affect West Sumatra.
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