TheJakartaPost
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Floods and the curious case of missing scientists
Less media attention has been given to updates on natural disasters than the President’s latest barbershop experience. Oddly, this also seems to be true in places where the disasters took place.
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A section of Jurang Grawah bridge that connects Boyolali to Magelang at Cepogo district, Boyolali in Central Java collapsed on Monday afternoon cutting off the traffic in the area after cold lava and floods struck the bridge.
(JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
T
he rain has lasted longer this year and is predicted to continue until April. The Geophysics and Meteorological Bureau has released warnings from late last year that thanks to climate change, the intensity of rainfall will sharply increase and thus is likely to raise the risk of hydro-metrological disasters.
In fact floods, landslides and windstorms are being reported practically everywhere. The National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) recorded 654 cases of catastrophes around the country since January this year, across 25 provinces.
Into the first two months of 2017, fatalities reached the alarming figure of 61. A few days into March eight more people died after severe floods and landslides hit Limapuluh Koto in West Sumatra. Floods inundated nearly 3,500 houses while an electricity outage cost the life of a newborn.
A landslide buried eight cars — along with their passengers — and cut off the only road connecting Padang to Riau.
In two months, the disasters of this monsoon season have grown to be no less than a horror story, except that not many seem to consider it that way.
Less media attention has been given to updates on natural disasters than the President’s latest barbershop experience. Oddly, this also seems to be true in places where the disasters took place.
Jakarta is one such example. Despite coming a bit later than usual this monsoon, Floods affected thousands of houses and caused at least two fatalities — one was of a cleaning personnel who drowned in floodwaters with a strong current while on duty.
