Pekalongan, C Java (ANTARA) - Flooding in Pekalongan, Central Java, on January 20, 2020. (photo: Antara/Kutnadi/h-fdh)
Floodwaters, reaching heights of nearly 50 centimeters, inundated the Kraton Regional Public Hospital (RSUD), Hoegeng Railway Station's parking lot, and several main roads, Saminta, head of the Pekalongan disaster mitigation office, noted.
The office has continued to monitor the flooding and made preparations for the evacuation process if the need arises, according to the official.
Several inpatients at the Kraton Hospital were moved to higher ground owing to the flooding, Apriliani, a relative of one of the inpatients, stated.
"We are optimistic of the floodwaters subsiding soon since the rooms for inpatients are already submerged," she noted.
Several trees in the city fell due to strong wind and downpour.
Indonesia is currently experiencing rainy season after being affected by prolonged dry spell that resulted in a water crisis and paddy harvest failure in several parts of the country's regions.
Early this month, several areas in the provinces of Banten, Jakarta, and West Java were swamped by flash floods and landslides. The BNPB recorded that the catastrophe killed at least 60 people.
The floods, caused by high-intensity rainfall for several days, swamped several areas of 18 sub-districts in Bekasi District, 17 sub-districts in Jakarta, and 13 sub-districts in Bogor District and Tangerang City respectively.
The disaster also affected 12 sub-districts in Bekasi City, 11 sub-districts in Depok City, and six sub-districts in Lebak District, Bogor City, and Tangerang Selatan City respectively.
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EDITED BY INE
