Surabaya Deluged: Heavy Rains fichier Floods on Margorejo Road, Stranding Vehicles
Heavy rains pounded Surabaya for nearly four hours Tuesday evening, causing widespread flooding that turned several roads into temporary lakes. Jalan Raya Margorejo was among the worst hit, with floodwaters reaching heights between 15 centimeters to 30 centimeters along its length.
Many two-wheeled vehicles attempting to navigate the flooded road ended up stalling. Motorcyclist Fauzi was one of the unlucky ones, with floodwaters nearly reaching his bike’s exhaust pipe. He got stranded while traveling along Margorejo from the direction of Jalan Sidosermo.
"I was here at 6 pm, the water was almost touching the muffler," he recalled, speaking to suara-surabaya.net. "But it’s starting to recede now."
Another motorcyclist, Ipung, had to park by a gas station on Margorejo Road to avoid the flooding, which had been present for nearly an hour. "I didn’t want to risk stalling my bike," he said.
The city’s Wali Kota, Eri Cahyadi, inspected the flood-hit areas and ordered the Fire Department to dispatch pumps to drain the roads. He warned that if the gates holding back the city’s rivers open, the floods could become even worse.
"The rain is pouring heavily in the south, it hasn’t stopped. Rivers in Dharmawangsa and Srikana are already swelling," he warned. "We’ll direct the water to the big rivers, but they’re already full."
Cahyadi urged residents to keep the city’s river gates closed to prevent further flooding. "If they’re opened, the city will be underwater," he said.