DENPASAR, (Indonesia): At least nine people have been killed and two remain missing after torrential rains caused severe flooding across several regions of Bali on Wednesday (Sept 10), in what authorities are calling the island’s worst flooding in years.
The flooding was caused by intense rainfall that persisted from Tuesday morning through Wednesday.
The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported more than 150 millimeters of rain in a single day, an amount classified as "extreme."
Floodwaters reaching up to three meters high inundated nearly all parts of Denpasar, forcing many residents to seek refuge on their rooftops.
The flooding also submerged the main road connecting Denpasar, Kerobokan and Canggu, causing severe traffic disruptions.
Access to popular tourist areas such as Kuta and Nusa Dua was also cut off.
Traffic from Denpasar heading to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport has been completely halted because of severe flooding.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the underpass at Simpang Dewa Ruci in Kuta remained heavily flooded, causing major traffic delays and rendering the route impassable since early morning.
Videos circulating on social media show cars stranded in flooded streets and some even plunging into open sewers.
Bali Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Disaster Control head I Wayan Suryawan said the flooding affected at least six regencies and cities across Bali, including Karangasem, Jembrana, Tabanan, Klungkung and Badung, with the provincial capital, Denpasar, being the hardest hit.
“The extreme weather has also triggered more than a dozen landslides and fallen trees. The series of disasters has destroyed 16 buildings and damaged at least three bridges and several roads,” he said on Wednesday.
Wayan added that, as of Wednesday afternoon, nine people had been confirmed dead and two remained missing across the island because of flooding and landslides.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred in Denpasar’s old city area, where flooding caused two stores located next to the Tukad Badung River on Jalan Sulawesi to collapse.
The buildings plunged 15 people into the river, killing four of them. In Jembrana Regency, a 23-year-old pregnant woman tragically died after she and her husband were swept away by floodwaters while riding a motorcycle on Jalan Raya Pengambengan–Munduk Awen.
In Dangin Tukadaya village, also in Jembrana, a 38-year-old man drowned after slipping into floodwaters approximately one meter deep and hitting his head.
Meanwhile, one woman died in Dauh Puri village in Denpasar after being swept away by the flood, another died when her car was carried away by floodwaters in Kerobokan, and a third person died as a wall collapsed in Temesi Village, Gianyar.
Bali authorities have deployed hundreds of rescuers to evacuate residents trapped by the floodwaters.
Rescue teams are also assisting tourists stranded in hotels, villas and shopping centers.
At least 260 people, including babies and the elderly, have been evacuated in Klungkung Regency, while in Jembrana, more than 85 people have been moved to temporary shelters.
Denpasar Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara described the flooding as the worst he has ever witnessed.
“In my 59 years living in Bali, this is the first time I have seen flooding this severe,” he said on Wednesday, as quoted by Tribunnews.com.
Extreme weather
The Head of Meteorological Operations at the Denpasar Office of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BBMKG) explained that the extreme rainfall in Bali was caused by the Rossby equatorial wave.
This atmospheric wave moves westward near the equator and can enhance the formation of rain clouds.
“The active Rossby equatorial wave over Bali and surrounding areas promotes the growth of convective clouds, which trigger heavy rain. This effect is intensified by high humidity levels from the surface which was up to 500 millibars,” Wayan said on Wednesday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
The BMKG has issued a warning that extreme weather conditions are expected to persist in Bali over the next three days.
Bali has experienced increasingly frequent flooding in recent years, which experts and environmentalists attribute to massive overtourism and overdevelopment on the holiday island.
The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) reported last year that Bali loses around 2,000 hectares of rice fields annually to villa and hotel developments.
In tourist hot spots like Badung and Denpasar, only about 3,000 hectares of rice fields remain in 2020, down from 7,000 hectares in 2000. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
