Flash Floods Inundate Dozens of Houses in Situbondo

Situbondo, E Java, Feb 9 (Antara) - Situbondo's flash floods affected at least 58 families that had to evacuate to safer ground in Wonorejo Village, Situbondo District, East Java.

"Floodwaters inundated the houses after the Banjulmati River in Wonorejo Village, Banyuputih Sub-district, overflowed on Thursday (Feb 8)," Head of Prevention and Preparedness of Situbondo Gatot Trikorawan noted here on Thursday evening.

Trikorawan remarked that flash floods had hit the eastern region or in the border of Situbondo District and Banyuwangi after heavy rains hit the area. As a result, the floodwaters from Baluran forest drained into the river causing it to overflow.

He said the flash floods hit Jelun Hamlet's neighborhood association (RT) 19 and RT association (RW) 03 affecting 25 families and 75 inhabitants and Pandean Hamlet's RT 20 RW 04 involving 35 families and 90 inhabitants.

Until early Friday morning, dozens of residents were evacuated to safer ground by the regional disaster mitigation agency, army, public health service, disaster response agency (Tagana), youth organization, village government, and scouts.

"The height of floodwaters reached almost a meter in the houses and road, while the local people chose to evacuate to Elementary School 3 of Wonorejo in order to avoid the floodwaters," he noted.

Flash floods damaged the bridge between the villages, such as Wonorejo Village, Banyuputih Sub-district, Situbondo District, and Wongsorejo Sub-district, Banyuwangi District, he revealed.

Earlier, at the same time, floodwaters overflowed from Panggang River, Baluran Forest, Situbondo, resulting in a traffic jam from Banyuwangi and Surabaya. (*)