In Bengkulu, floods inundated several areas in the Sumatran city on Saturday night following four hours of rains, forcing scores of people to evacuate.
A number of areas, including Kebun Tebeng and Tanjung Agung in the city were flooded because of heavy rains, Yasarudin, a local resident, said.
"I have to evacuate to my relative`s house tonight because my house is inundated by knee-deep floodwater," he said.
The water level was expected to increase as rains were still pouring down on Saturday evening.
Because of the flood motor vehicles could not move on a road in Kebun Tebeng area, he said adding he removed all valuable items to his relative`s house on foot while his children had been evacuated there earlier.
Heavy rains also forced residents of Tanjung Jaya area in the city to remove their belongings to higher grounds for fear that flood would inundate the area.
Still in Bengkulu, flood triggered by four hours of heavy rains inundated hundreds of houses at Rawa Makmur Permai village on Saturday night.
"A total of 250 houses were flooded after heavy rains fell in the area for more than four hours," Ikhwan, chief of neighborhood association 04 at the villahe, said.
The water level was up to 1 meter deep, he said adding flood also inundated Hidayatul Ikhlas Mosque in the area up to 30 cm deep.
"The flood began after magrib prayers. We still could perform magrib prayers together at the mosque. But when we were about to perform isya prayers floodwater began to inundate the mosque," he said.
Floods also affected hundreds of houses in other parts of the city, including Tanah Patan, Sukamerindu, Tanjung Agung, Tanjung Jaya, Kebun Beler, Kebun Kenanga, Kuala Lempung, Pasar Bengkulu and Malabero on Saturday night.
In Muara Teweh, the capital of North Barito district in Central Kalimantan province, several areas have been flooded 1-1.5-meter deep for the past two days due to the overflowing of River Barito.
The floods inundated a number of densely-populated areas and commercial areas in the district on Sunday.
A number of roads in the city, including Jalan Imam Bonjol, Jalan Merak, Jalan Dahlia, Jalan Cempaka Putih, Jalan Sengaji Hilir, and Jalan Simpang Perwira were flooded.
No motor vehicles could move on some of the roads such as Jalan Imam Bonjol and Jalan Merak where the floodwater reached around one meter deep.
"To most of residents in North Barito district, this seasonal flooding is a common happening so it poses no threat. Even in several areas children use flooded roads as places to play," local resident Syarbani said.
The water level in worst-affected sub-districts including Lahei, Teweh Tengah, Montallat varied between 1 and 2 meters.
"The water level currently remains unchanged. If no rains fall in the upper reach of the river the flood will begin to recede tomorrow," he said.
In Lebak district, Banten province, River Ciujung began to overflow on Sunday after rains poured down in the area overnight, prompting residents living along the riverside to increase alertness.
The water level in the river increased on Sunday but the river water did not cause a flood, an Antara journalist observed.
The water level was only a few meters away from causing a flood.
"I and other members of my family remain vigilant though the rising water level in River Ciujung has not caused flooding," Haerudin, a resident of Kebon Kelapa village in the district, said.
He said residents living along the riverside had begun to increase alertness for fear that their homes would be flooded in the event of further rains.
Head of the Lebak District Natural Disaster Mitigation Office Muklis called on residents living along the Ciujung and Ciberang riversides to remain vigilant in the light of high rainfalls.
"I call on local residents to remain vigilant particularly in the night," he said.
Saturday`s rains also caused River Ciberang and River Cisimeut in the district to overflow.
In Palembang, several areas were flooded on Sunday after heavy rains fell in the South Sumatra provincial capital overnight.
Floodwater inundated houses in Citra Handayani Bukit Sangkat and Citra Handayani Adil housing complexes and a number of roads in the city.
Still in South Sumatra, heavy rains that poured down in Musi Rawas district over the past three days had flooded fish ponds in a number of sub-districts, causing hundreds of millions of rupiahs in losses.
"The heavy rains in the past three days have flooded my fish ponds. All the fish was carried away by 2-meter deep floodwater," Supadio, an owner of fish ponds, at B-Srikaton village in Tugumulyo sub-district said on Saturday.
In West Java, heavy rains in the Citarum river basin areas over the past three days prompted residents of Baleendah village in Bandung district, to be watchful for flood.
"Admittedly, there has been a high dike here, but floodwater still can penetrate so we have to keep watch for flood," Wawan, a local resident said on Sunday.
(S012/O001)
Reporter: Suharto
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
