Muhammad Hamzah Jakarta Globe 27 Oct 15;
Jakarta. Severe floods have struck Aceh, forcing hundreds of residents to flee as their houses have become completely submerged underwater, and in some cases, even being carried away by the current.
High-intensity rains have poured down on the districts of Southeast Aceh, South Aceh and West Aceh from Sunday afternoon through to Monday morning, causing the local Gelombang River to overflow and flood residential areas, roads, irrigation channels, rice fields and mosques.
Residents are afraid that the floods will not subside any time soon as the areas are reportedly still cloudy, indicating that there are more rains to come.
“The floods in Southeast Aceh have swept away five houses while 10 others are severely damaged and 102 are buried in mud. The flooding across the main highway stretches as long as 100 meters,” Ali Basrah Pasaribu, the Southeast Aceh deputy district head, said on Monday.
The Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) is still evacuating victims, leading them to higher ground in order to avoid the floods.
This was the case in South Aceh,, where hundreds of families have been forced to abandon their homes.
In West Aceh, it was reported that three houses had been washed away by the floods while others were submerged underwater due to rising water levels.
Floods submerge 3,238 houses in Langkat, North Sumatra
Antara 27 Oct 15;
Langkat, N Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Some 3,238 houses in five sub-districts in Langkat District, North Sumatra Province, were flooded following incessant heavy rains over the last few days, according to the Langkat disaster mitigation office.
Tanjungpura sub-district was the worst hit by the flooding, Noto Atmojo of the local disaster mitigation agency, stated here, Tuesday.
The five sub-districts affected by the floods are Sawit Seberang, Padang Tualang, Hinai, Tanjungpura, and Sei Lepan.
In Sei Lepan, the floods inundated a 150-hectare palm oil plantation. The floodwaters, reaching a height of up to 150 centimeters, submerged several roads and cut off land transportation.
In Tanjungpura, the floodwaters submerged 2,766 houses located in the villages of Teluk Bakung, West Pematang Cengal, Paya Perupuk, Baja Kuning, Pekubuan, Pekan Tanjungoua, and Pantai Cermain.
In the meantime, floods also hit South Aceh District, inundating more than one thousand houses, following heavy downpours on early Tuesday.
"It is estimated that more than one thousand houses have been flooded in South Aceh. The floods were triggered by early morning heavy rains," Erwiandi from the South Aceh disaster mitigation office, noted.
The floods affected the sub-districts of Tapaktuan, Samadua, Sawang, Central Trumon, and East Trumon.
The floodwaters in most of the sub-districts have resided, and the local authorities have set up public kitchens to help the flood victims.(*)
