Medan, N Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Tens of families fled their flood-hit houses in Kelambir Lima hamlet, Tanjung Gusta subdistrict, North Sumatra city of Medan, on Thursday morning.

Ali Rahman Sitompul, a 32-year-old resident whose house was also submerged, told ANTARA that the height of the flash flood waters had reached 70 centimeters.

He said he and tens of people fled their houses to escape the flood waters whose height tended to keep rising.

The flooding was caused by the overflowing of Tanjung Gusta river, which was only about 30 meters away from his house, he said.

"I am surprised with this Thursday morning`s flash floods. How can the river overflow because it has never overflowed," said Sitompul who had admitted that he had lived in Kelambir Lima hamlet for 20 years.

He said this flooding might be triggered by heavy rainfalls in the upper reach of the Tanjung Gusta river but there were no reports of fatalities in this natural disaster.

Besides inundating the housing complex, the floods also submerged the Kelambir Lima neighborhood area, including a wet market.

As a result, lots of local traders temporarily closed their shops at the market.
The 50-centimeter-high floods also inundated the Kelambir Lima and Tanjung Gusta roads disrupting the flows of hundreds of cars and motorbikes.

Over the past year, Indonesia has been undergoing an extreme weather phenomenon, which partly characterizes with heavy rains and whirlwinds.

As the consequences of the torrential rains and whirlwinds, various vulnerable parts of the country have experienced flash floods and landslides.

On January 2, flash floods also hit four villages in Kedungwuni subdistrict, Pekalongan district, Central Java. Two houses were destroyed and tens of others got damaged.

The floods hit the villages of Pakis Putih, Kranji, Sastrodirejan, and Siberuk following torrential rainfalls that triggered the overflowing of Singkarang river after its dike in Kedungwuni subdistrict`s area got damaged.

On December 31, 2010, flash floods also hit the western part of Singaraja town in Buleleng district, Bali province.

In the natural disaster, a local resident was killed and the other one went missing. The floods also destroyed a bridge.

Since last year, heavy floods have posed a serious threat in many parts of Indonesia.
In December 2010 alone, floods inundated some villages in Cilacap (Central Java) as well as Lombok Timur and Dompu (West Nusa Tenggara).

In October 2010, Wasior town in Teluk Wondama, West Papua Province was struck by flash floods, killing at least 150 people.
(ANT/A024)

Editor: AA Ariwibowo
Copyright © ANTARA 2011