2019 South Sulawesi floods

Last updated
2019 South Sulawesi floods
South Sulawesi in Indonesia.svg
South Sulawesi province shaded red on a map of Indonesia
Date22 January 2019
Deaths68 [1]
Non-fatal injuries47 [2]
Missing6 [1]

On 22 January 2019, floods caused by heavy rainfall struck the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. At least 68 people were killed and thousands were displaced. Gowa Regency was particularly hard-hit, experiencing the majority of the fatalities.

Contents

The most destructive flood was caused by the overflowing of the Jeneberang River and the opening of the watergates of the Bili-Bili Dam in Gowa, though other floods also occurred elsewhere in the province.

Background

The province of South Sulawesi experiences flooding annually. Due to development of a low-pressure area in the Timor Sea coupled with increased humidity in the wet season, the rainfall levels in the area increased significantly, with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency issuing an extreme weather warning between 21 and 26 January 2019. [3] One of the dams in the province, the Bili-Bili Dam which lies on the Jeneberang River, has suffered from silting, coupled with the critical condition of the river's catchment area due to agricultural use. [4]

Flooding

The heavy rainfalls caused the Jeneberang River to overflow, resulting in the overfilling of the Gowa Regency's Bili-Bili Dam and forcing the water gates to be opened. [5] The water level in parts of Makassar reached roof level in excess of 1.5 metres (4.9 ft). [6] Other rivers in the province, such as the Walanae River also overflowed, causing further damage in other locations. [7]

By 25 January, the flooding had not receded fully, with some residents of Makassar still displaced. [8]

Casualties

68 people were reported killed as of 25 January 2019, in addition to 6 missing. Most of the confirmed deaths were recorded in Gowa Regency, which suffered 45 dead. [1] Some of the deaths were due to electrocution, while others were caused by the landslides. [9]

Impact

The flooding directly impacted 10 regencies or cities, with 3,321 people being evacuated from 78 villages according to the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB). 5,825 people were recorded to be "impacted" by the flood, and 32 houses were confirmed to be swept away, with 25 further houses heavily damaged, 14 damaged, and 5 buried under landslides. 2,694 houses, 11,433 hectares (28,250 acres) of farmland were inundated, alongside damage to various public facilities. [10] The Indonesian Police reported 7,364 people in evacuation sites in Makassar, Gowa and Jeneponto. [11]

An official noted that the flooding was "the worst in a decade". [3] The Trans-Sulawesi Highway was impacted, being cut off for 20 hours. [12] Floodwater damaged pumps in Maros, disrupting the distribution of freshwater. [13] South Sulawesi governor Nurdin Abdullah estimated that the financial damages in Jeneponto Regency alone will be in excess of Rp 100 billion (USD 7 million). [14]

Response

The Governor of South Sulawesi Nurdin Abdullah declared an emergency response period which was to last until 29 January 2019. [14] Search and Rescue teams from various organizations - BNPB, Indonesian Police, TNI, various ministries and volunteer groups - were deployed to search for and evacuate survivors. [15] A helicopter from the Indonesian Air Force was deployed to deliver aid to an isolated settlement in Gowa. [16]

Aftermath

South Sulawesi governor Nurdin Abdullah blamed environmental damages due to illegal mining in Gowa Regency for causing the floods. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bili-Bili Dam</span> Indonesian dam

The Bili-Bili Dam is a dam located in Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, on the Jeneberang River, about 30 km from the city of Makassar. It provides flood control, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation. The dam was constructed between 1991 and 1998.

Mohamad, Ardyan (2016-03-31). "Filipina tolak TNI ikut bebaskan WNI disandera Abu Sayyaf". merdeka.com. Retrieved 2023-05-25.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Aceh earthquake</span> Earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia

The 2016 Aceh earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a Mw of 6.5 in Aceh province on 7 December 2016, at 05:03 WIB. The shock was reported to be at a depth of 13 km, categorized as a strong, shallow earthquake. The epicentre was located near the village of Reuleut in Pidie Jaya Regency, 164 km (102 mi) southeast of the province's capital, Banda Aceh. 104 people died in the quake, with at least 1,000 people injured. It was the deadliest earthquake in Aceh since the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake and the deadliest in Sumatra since the 2010 Mentawai earthquake and tsunami.

2018 (MMXVIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2018th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 18th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 9th year of the 2010s decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 South Sulawesi gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 South Sulawesi Gubernatorial Election took place on 27 June 2018 as part of the simultaneous local elections. It was held to elect the governor of South Sulawesi along with their deputy, whilst members of the provincial council will be re-elected in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nurdin Abdullah</span> Indonesian politician and academic

Nurdin Abdullah is an Indonesian politician and academic who was the 8th governor of South Sulawesi and regent of Bantaeng Regency between 2008 and 2018. He was arrested for corruption in 2021, and sentenced to five years' imprisonment.

2019 (MMXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2019th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 19th year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 10th and last year of the 2010s decade.

On afternoon 31 December 2018, a landslide struck a settlement in the village of Sirnaresmi in Sukabumi Regency, Indonesia, striking 30 houses and killing at least 18 people. The settlement, populated by around 100 people, was located in a landslide-prone area.

On 16 March 2019, a flash flood struck Jayapura Regency in the province of Papua, Indonesia due to torrential rain, with a separate landslide occurring in the city of Jayapura several hours later. At least 113 people were killed in the two events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 North Maluku earthquake</span> July 14, 2019, earthquake in Indonesia

The 2019 North Maluku earthquake, a shallow 7.2 magnitude earthquake, struck the island of Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia on 14 July 2019 at 18:10 local time with its epicentre located at South Halmahera. It struck at a shallow depth of 10 km (6.2 mi) near Labuha, a small port town located in Bacan Island. The earthquake produced a non-destructive 20 cm tsunami, which struck Labuha just minutes after the shaking started. 14 people were killed by the earthquake while 129 people were injured, and more than 50,000 people were displaced. The earthquake inflicted a total damage of Rp 238 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Ambon earthquake</span> Earthquake affecting Maluku, Indonesia

On 26 September 2019, a strong magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Seram Island in Maluku, Indonesia, near the provincial capital of Ambon. The earthquake struck at 07:46:44 Eastern Indonesia Time with a shallow depth of 18 km. The tremor could be felt throughout the island, with an intensity of very strong (VII) reportedly felt in the provincial capital of Ambon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Indonesia and Malaysia floods</span> Flash floods in Medan, December

From 3 to 8 December 2020, several floods and flash floods impacted various areas within Indonesia and Malaysia, causing mass property damage, injuring and killing many, and prompting the evacuation of those in affected houses. They were caused by a convergence zone formed by Cyclone Burevi in Sri Lanka and a low-pressure area in the Philippines. Wider coverage was done on the floods in the province of North Sumatra, which killed eight, injured 5,000, and damaged over 2,000 properties. The ones in neighboring province Aceh affected over 8,000 people, and those in Malaysia affected over 2,000 people across four states. Meanwhile, floods also impacted the Indonesian island of Java, though with less severity.

2021 (MMXXI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2021st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 21st year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 2nd year of the 2020s decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 South Kalimantan floods</span> 2021 floods in Indonesia

The 2021 South Kalimantan floods were a series of floods in the South Kalimantan province of Indonesia. It was the worst flood to affect the region in the last ten years, and the first major flood in the past fifty years. Most of the region affected had never experienced such a flood before. There were 15 deaths while many are missing. Landslides were also triggered by the floods. The most affected regions were Banjarmasin, Central Hulu Sungai Regency, and Tanah Laut Regency. More than 100,000 people were evacuated.

A moment magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Majene Regency in West Sulawesi, Indonesia, on 15 January 2021, at 02:28 WITA. The reverse faulting shock initiated at 18.0 km (11.2 mi) depth with an epicenter inland, located 32 km (20 mi) south of Mamuju. It was preceded by a Mw  5.7 foreshock several hours prior. Shaking from the mainshock was assigned a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong) in Majene and Mamuju. Four of the five regencies in West Sulawesi were affected. More than 6,000 structures were damaged or destroyed; damage was estimated at Rp829.1 billion rupiah. At least 105 people were confirmed dead; nearly 6,500 were injured and thousands were displaced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclone Seroja</span> Category 3 Australian region cyclone in 2021

Severe Tropical Cyclone Seroja was the third-deadliest tropical cyclone on record in the Australian region, behind Cyclone Mahina in 1899 and the Flores cyclone in 1973. Seroja brought historic flooding and landslides to portions of southern Indonesia and East Timor and later went on to make landfall in Western Australia's Mid West region, becoming the first to do so since Cyclone Elaine in 1999. The twenty-second tropical low, seventh tropical cyclone, and third severe tropical cyclone of the 2020–21 Australian region cyclone season, the precursor of Seroja formed off the south coast of Timor island as Tropical Low 22U at 18:00 UTC on 3 April 2021; its genesis was related to convectively coupled equatorial waves. The tropical low moved very slowly near the island, while the system's thunderstorms increased in organization. The low intensified into Tropical Cyclone Seroja by 4 April, while it was passing north of Rote Island, while continuing its slow strengthening trend.

2022 (MMXXII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2022nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 22nd year of the 3rd millennium and the 21st century, and the 3rd year of the 2020s decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andi Sudirman Sulaiman</span> Indonesian politician

Andi Sudirman Sulaiman is an Indonesian politician who currently serves as the Governor of South Sulawesi. He had been elected as Vice Governor in 2018 and was elevated to acting governor when governor Nurdin Abdullah was arrested.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Sumatra earthquake</span> Earthquake in Indonesia

On 25 February 2022 at 08:39 WIB, a moment magnitude (Mw ) 6.2 earthquake struck West Sumatra, Indonesia at a depth of 4.0 km (2.5 mi). Preceded by one foreshock and followed by over 200 aftershocks, the mainshock had an epicenter at the foot of Mount Talakmau in Pasaman Regency. The mainshock was the result of strike-slip faulting along a previously unidentified segment of the Great Sumatran Fault. At least 27 people died, 457 were injured, and 19,221 others were displaced. It inflicted 780 million Indonesian rupiahs (Rp) worth of damage. The heaviest damage was recorded at three villages around Mount Talakmau. Landslides and flash floods caused additional damage and casualties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 West Java earthquake</span> Earthquake in Indonesia

On 21 November 2022, at 13:21 WIB (UTC+07:00), a Mww 5.6 earthquake struck near Cianjur in West Java, Indonesia. The strike-slip earthquake occurred with a focal depth of 11 km (6.8 mi). Between 335 and 635 people died, 7,729 were injured and five remain missing. More than 62,628 homes were damaged across 16 districts in Cianjur Regency and the surrounding region. It is the deadliest earthquake to affect Indonesia since the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake. Damage evaluated after the event earned it a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe).

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Death toll from Indonesia floods, landslides climbs to 68". Channel NewsAsia. 26 January 2019. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  2. Fadhil, Haris (25 January 2019). "Korban Tewas Banjir-Longsor Sulsel Bertambah Jadi 59 Orang". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Banjir Sulawesi Selatan terparah dalam satu dekade terakhir, 59 orang meninggal". BBC (in Indonesian). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  4. "Gubernur Sulsel: Banjir Bandang Disebabkan Pendangkalan Sungai dan Perusakan Hutan". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). 23 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  5. "Six killed, thousands displaced in South Sulawesi floods". The Jakarta Post. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  6. "5 Fakta Bencana Banjir dan Longsor di Sulsel, Balita Meninggal Kedinginan hingga Helikopter Bantuan Diserbu Warga". KOMPAS (in Indonesian). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  7. "BREAKING NEWS: Banjir Sudah Sampai di Kecamatan Tempe Wajo". Tribun Timur (in Indonesian). 24 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  8. "Banjir Belum Surut, Warga Makassar Masih Mengungsi di Masjid : Okezone News". Okezone (in Indonesian). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  9. "Death toll from Indonesia floods, landslides climbs to 68". Channel NewsAsia. 26 January 2019. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  10. Fadil, Iqbal (25 January 2019). "Banjir 10 Kabupaten di Sulsel, 30 Orang Meninggal Ribuan Warga Mengungsi". Merdeka (in Indonesian). Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  11. "2.831 Personel Polri Bantu Evakuasi Korban Banjir Sulawesi Selatan". Bisnis.com (in Indonesian). 24 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  12. Taufiqqurrahman, Muhammad (24 January 2019). "Terputus 20 Jam Diterjang Banjir, Jalur Trans Sulawesi Kini Lancar". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  13. "Pompa Rusak Akibat Banjir, Air PDAM Maros Bermasalah". Tribun Timur (in Indonesian). 22 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Gubernur: Tanggap Darurat Sulsel Hingga 29 Januari". Berita Satu (in Indonesian). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  15. "BNPB Sudah Salurkan Bantuan untuk Korban Bencana di Sulsel". Tribunnews.com (in Indonesian). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  16. "Heli Kirim Bantuan ke Lokasi yang Terisolasi Diterjang Banjir Sulsel". detiknews (in Indonesian). Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  17. "Nurdin Abdullah Sebut Penambangan Liar di Gowa Penyebab Banjir". Tribun Timur (in Indonesian). 24 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.