Heavy downpour hit most areas in Surakarta, Central Java since Monday afternoon through evening, causing the Bengawan Solo River to overflow with floodwater inundating several areas in Surakarta, Sukoharjo and Karanganyar. 

Hundreds of homes, especially in areas along the river banks in Pucangsawit, Gandekan, Sangkrah, Semanggi, Kedunglumbu and Sewu subdisticts, were swamped in 50 centimeters to 100 centimeters deluge, forcing thousands of residents to take shelter to higher grounds. 

Surakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency head  Gatot Sutanto said river water level rose significantly within only within three hours on Monday evening, reaching its top alert level of 8.71 meters at around 10 p.m..

Gatot said his agency had deployed its personnel equipped with portable pumps, rubber dinghies, power generators and logistics to help support the residents. 

“We receive a helping hand from Indonesian Red Cross volunteers. Currently, we focus on doing evacuation," he said. 

A resident, Agus Pambudi, Setiawan, said that the flood was the worst in the past few years. 

The flood is the second  as flooding also hit homes located along the Bengawan Solo River banks early this year. (dmr)