MEDAN: Floods and landslides have struck parts of North Sumatra and West Sumatra in recent days, threatening communities still recovering from last year’s devastating floods and underscoring the heightened risk of repeat flooding in the affected areas.
In North Sumatra, heavy rain that lashed Langkat regency from Sunday night to Monday afternoon triggered flooding of more than 1.5 metres in several subdistricts, submerging sections of the Trans-Sumatra Highway linking North Sumatra and Aceh and severely disrupting traffic along the key route.
No deaths or injuries were reported, but hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate to safer locations. Several bridges and other public facilities were also damaged by the floods.
Mardiansyah Putra, a resident of Besitang district, said floodwaters began entering his home in the early hours of Monday. He and his family initially stayed inside as the water continued to rise, but decided to evacuate by midday when it reached chest height.
“We were worried as the water kept rising and flooding the house, so we evacuated to a relative’s home to find a safe place,” Mardiansyah told The Jakarta Post on Monday afternoon.
He said the flooding brought back memories of the devastating floods that inundated his home in late November 2025.
“The water was not as high as it was in late November last year, but the experience was traumatic for us,” he said.
Tropical Cyclone Senyar struck northern and western Sumatra on Nov 25 last year, bringing torrential rain and strong winds that caused widespread flooding and landslides across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
The disaster affected at least 3.1 million people, killing 1,204, injuring around 7,000 others and leaving 140 people missing, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
Langkat Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Muhammad Ansyari said 310 families had evacuated by midday on Monday due to the flooding. He added that the flooding had also damaged infrastructure across the regency.
In Bukit Mas village, floodwaters severed power cables, causing a power outage. The floods also swept away a bridge connecting Pantai Pulo and Sukaramai hamlets, disrupting access between the two areas, he said.
“Residents have temporarily laid planks across the damaged crossing to allow motorcycles to pass,” Ansyari said.
In West Sumatra, torrential rain triggered floods and landslides in the provincial capital of Padang and neighbouring South Pesisir regency on Saturday, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate.
In Padang, 627 people sought refuge in temporary shelters after flash floods swept through the city, destroying five houses and inundating more than 120 others.
Padang Mayor Fadly Amran said the latest flooding had hit areas devastated by major floods last year, where sediment buildup had made rivers shallower and more prone to overflowing.
“The floods have hit these areas three times since last year, and the latest inundation destroyed temporary embankments installed after last year’s disaster,” Fadly said in a video posted on his Instagram account.
The city administration is pursuing a more permanent solution by improving upstream river channels, but the project is still awaiting a tender process, he said.
The administration is also working to relocate residents living in areas repeatedly affected by flooding, Fadly added.
In South Pesisir regency, flash floods on Saturday night swept away two houses and severely damaged 11 others, affecting about 4,240 people.
Twelve schools, from early childhood education centres to vocational high schools, were also affected, with mud and debris inundating their premises.
In Ranah Ampek Hulu Tapan district, floods and landslides left a village isolated for two days, burying 10 residents under debris.
“All residents buried under the debris have been evacuated, and those who suffered serious injuries have been taken to medical facilities,” district head Agnes Dheno Arnas said to Detik.com on Tuesday.
Agnes said motorists, logistics truck drivers, and fuel transporters had been stranded in the district for two days, with some running low on food supplies.
Hatma Suryatmojo, a forest hydrology and watershed management expert at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), said landslides triggered by the November 2025 disaster had left debris in upstream areas that could be swept downstream by heavy rainfall.
“Steep slopes and narrow river valleys in parts of Sumatra make the region particularly vulnerable, as landslide debris can block river channels and form natural dams. When heavy rain returns and water levels rise, these natural dams can collapse, triggering flash floods,” he said.
Hatma urged the government to reassess land-use planning based on disaster risk, arguing that highly vulnerable areas should be restored as protected zones to help their ecosystems recover.
“Under the current conditions, spatial planning needs to be reset, not merely revised. Disaster risk must be a priority,” he said.
