In mid-March 2024, several areas in Java faced heavy flooding due to the onset of the extreme rainy season. Reports from Kompas.com indicated that nine districts and cities in Central Java and thirteen districts and cities in East Java were affected by the floods.
Yoga Sambodo, the Head of the Ahmad Yani Semarang Meteorological Station, attributed the cause of the flooding in Central Java to atmospheric phenomena like the Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO), the Asian Monsoon, and the Rossby Wave.
Demak, a district in Central Java, has been severely impacted by heavy flooding primarily caused by breaches in the embankments of the Wulan and Jratun rivers.
View this post on Instagram
The flooding began on Wednesday, 13th March 2024, forcing 65,109 residents to evacuate to higher ground. As a result, 44 villages were submerged, establishing 19 refugee camps to accommodate the displaced individuals.
Additionally, the Pantura route linking Demak and Kudus has been shut down since Sunday, 17th March 2024. The water level in the Pantura area has risen to 50 cm, rendering it impassable for all vehicle types.
The following are the 9 districts and cities in Central Java affected by severe flooding, according to Kompas.com data as of Saturday, March 16, 2024, at 7 AM local time:
- Grobogan Regency
- Pekalongan Regency
- Pekalongan City
- Kendal Regency
- Semarang City
- Demak Regency
- Jepara Regency
- Pati Regency
- Kudus Regency
The heavy flooding disaster has also impacted 13 areas in East Java. The significant rainfall intensity over the past two weeks and the breaches in river embankments are the primary causes of the widespread flooding in East Java. Districts and cities along the Bengawan Brantas River have been submerged since the beginning of the week.
According to data from various sources, since Wednesday, 13th March 2024, there have also been tidal floods affecting the southern coast of Java. Madura is the most affected region by the heavy flooding, primarily due to the overflowing Arosbaya River.
Approximately 4,000 people were affected by the floods in the Jrengik, Tambelangan, Torjun, and Pamekasan areas. Here is a list of 11 districts and cities affected by heavy flooding in East Java:
- Ngawi
- Madiun
- Bojonegoro
- Tuban
- Lamongan
- Gresik
- Mojokerto
- Jombang
- Bangkalan
- Sampang
- Pamekasan
