Surabaya Floods: Mayor Eri Cahyadi Blames Extreme Rainfall as City Struggles with Severe Flooding
Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi has attributed the severe flooding that hit the Hero City on Tuesday (24/12/2024) to heavy and prolonged rainfall. The downpour, which lasted for four hours, was the primary cause of the widespread floods across various districts in Surabaya.
According to Mayor Eri, the capacity of Surabaya’s rivers, particularly the Kali Surabaya, has exceeded its limits due to the extreme rainfall. "The Kali Surabaya has overflowed and can no longer contain the water," he stated during an interview on Radio Suara Surabaya on Wednesday (25/12/2024).
The situation was further exacerbated by the overflowing of upstream rivers such as Jombang and Mojokerto. "The rainfall intensity was very high, beyond our expectations. It rained non-stop for four hours. The Kali Surabaya was in turmoil due to the conditions in Jombang and Mojokerto as well," Eri explained.
Several affected districts in Surabaya include Tenggilis, Rungkut, Gayungan, Ketintang, Wonocolo, and Gununganyar. The floods in these areas were caused by the overflowing of several rivers and drainage channels, including the Kali Surabaya, Kali Makmur, and Kali Prapen.
"For instance, in the Tenggilis area, the water flowed towards SIER. Then, from SIER, it flowed into the Kali Buntung Sidoarjo. When the Kali Buntung overflowed, it resulted in flooding. Consequently, the water from SIER flowed back into Tenggilis," said Eri Cahyadi.
As of Wednesday morning, the areas of Tenggilis and Rungkut Menanggal were still flooded. Mayor Eri emphasized that Surabaya City Government (Pemkot) has deployed all available resources to tackle the flooding.
"The team has been working non-stop to pump out water, clear drainage channels, and assist affected residents. They haven’t even gone home from yesterday," said Eri.
The mayor also acknowledged the helpful role of box culverts (underground tunnels for drainage) in managing rainwater. However, he noted that when major rivers like the Kali Surabaya overflow, there’s little more that can be done, as the drainage system connects to the rivers and ultimately the sea.
Mayor Eri reaffirmed that Surabaya City Government will continue to strive to address the flood issue as effectively as possible. (saf)
