Flash Floods Inundate Several Villages in Two Districts of Kediri Regency
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia — The Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) of Kediri Regency, East Java, has revealed that flash floods have affected several villages in two districts.
The Head of the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Section of BPBD Kediri Regency, Bayu Adi Santoso, explained that water levels began to rise around 3:30 PM WIB. The two districts affected are Banyakan and Grogol.
The floods occurred due to heavy rainfall at the peak of Mount Wilis (2,563 meters above sea level). Rainfall started around 2:00 PM WIB and reached the lower areas around 3:30 PM WIB. Villages inundated in Banyakan District include Tiron, Maron, and Jatirejo. Meanwhile, in Grogol District, floods affected Cerme, Bakalan, Sonorejo, Sumberjo, Gambyok, and Datengan.
Water levels varied, averaging around 50 cm. Some houses were submerged, forcing residents to evacuate. "In Tiron, houses near the riverbank were affected. In Cerme, floodwaters entered homes," Bayu said.
Bayu attributed the floods to heavy rainfall and clogged drainage due to debris like dry bamboo. Additionally, the nearby rivers couldn’t contain the high water flow, causing floods to engulf homes.
BPBD is still collecting data on affected houses and families. They are also coordinating with the Public Works Department (Dinas Pekerjaan Umum Dan Penataan Ruang Kabupaten Kediri) for heavy machinery to clean the clogged drains.
Floods in Kediri Regency have also gone viral on social media, with images and videos showing submerged houses in Tiron Village, Banyakan District. The floods had also stranded several vehicles near Banyakan Market.