Seasonal rains and high tides in recent days have caused widespread flooding across much of Indonesia. North Sulawesi province’s capital city, Manado in Indonesia, was hit by heavy rains that triggered floods and landslides on February 17, 2013 responsible for killing at least 17 people and evacuation 1,200 people. Manado area received 24 cm (9.4 inches) of rainfall during February 16/17, 2013. That was more than half of February average. A local river in Manado burst at its seems due to heavy rainfall, causing flooding of more than 1.000 homes. Local media reported floodwaters a meter high in places. Water, which inundated around 5,000 houses in Manado, had receded by the next day and residents had begun cleaning up their homes.
Floods have inundated areas across Manado, including Aario Utara, Bailang, Bunaken, Karame, Komo Luar, Mahawu, Paal II, Tanjung Batu and Tikala Ares; while the areas of Karame, Kombos, Paal II, Singkil, Tingkulu and Winangun Atas were affected by landslides.
Flooding hit areas of Riau Islands and forced around 21,000 villagers to flee from their homes as the Batang Buluh and Rokan Rivers in Rokan Hulu regency began to overflow. At least 3,452 people had been evacuated to safer ground. Indonesian capital Jakarta was also affected by heavy rains in January which caused flooding that left 32 people dead and forced nearly 46,000 to flee their homes.
Indonesia is currently experiencing wet season which begins in November and ends in April. Seasonal downpours cause dozens of landslides and flash floods each year in Indonesia, where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.
Sources: The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Globe, SamayLive
