Flooding in Jakarta!!!

Since 2 days ago, my Mom already told us that it was raining continuously in Jakarta and some places were even starting to get flooded. Yesterday my parents and relatives have avoided the flood by going to outside Jakarta for my father's usual reflexiology foot massage. They are having a good and peaceful time there.

The situation in Jakarta seems to get worst today. It is raining hard today and many areas got flooded. My friend posted the photo in his house area, which has already 60cm height.

Flooding at THI Complex near basket court

Flooding is not something new there. It's more like a part of their daily lives. It is a ritual that always happens, usually in the beginning of the year when raining season usually happens.

In fact, it has started many years back, more than 2 decades ago. I still remembered there was one night at home, I was in my teens. Our house was quite low last time. My mattress was lying on the floor with nothing below. It was raining a whole day. At home, it was me and my father. My father alerted me that it was going to flood that night and I had to get prepared. He asked me to take the empty oil gallon from the store and put it under my mattress. He also helped me out lifting the mattress. I put few numbers of oil gallons to ensure it was stable enough to hold my mattress.

I removed the lower part of table drawers and put it on top of my table, also removed the content of the wardrobe in lower part to somewhere else. Just nice after I did that, water slowly rose up and entered in my bedroom. Within an hour, water had risen up at about 25 cm. Hoaaaa.... Between worry and exciting, that was my first experience flooding inside home. Next day we declared ourselves for holiday (didn't go to school). We walked out to neighborhood area to see what impact the rest of the area had.

Few of us took a pail (usually to wash clothes) and we walked out from our complex and went out to buy food and put the things inside that giant pail. The flood outside the house was higher, about 50 cm height. It was fun! We were so exciting and didn't feel it was unhygienic and how dirty the water was. We walked carefully trying to recall which part of the road having holes and tried to avoid it. We all wore short pants and shirt, removed our sandals as it floated in the water. We also found a snake in the water, luckily got caught and died. When you need to do big business, you go to upstairs and take a plastic bag with you. When done, tie the bag and throw it faraway from your home. Hahahaha....

Over time, my father was finally rebuilding the house. It is one meter height above the street level to avoid water to come in. He has to do that as he stored lots of things in our house and without doing so, it means he has to lose lots of money.

So now and then, when there was flooding on the street, at least we stayed dry at home. There was one year when the flood was at its worst. My school friend's father passed away due to electric shock. Such a tragedy. And the flood was really terrible. Many people suffered loss. Their belongings were all spoilt. Their cars too. Some had no choice but to stay at nearest hotel while they had given up in their belonging at home.

Jakarta, a capital city, my hometown. It will never change to the better. With buildings everywhere, less plantations, more rubbish, and increase population, this will be a never ending disaster.

Updating more photos from central of Jakarta city. Just heard that most of the places are no electricity right now... Haiz... Darkness... Hot... Mosquitoes... oh mosquitoes..... ngungg ngungg ngunggg....... Plak!!!!

Bundaran Thamrin

Oh Jakartaku....!!!

Found whale on the flood!!! :D

Another update this morning:
Flood has entered our house garage with 20cm height. My parents had extended a night stay last night and since the flood has become worse, they really couldn't go back home, therefore they have to extend for another night. With such a heavy flood, they might have to stay there for a week ba!

Just hope everyone will be safe from this disaster although they may encounter any loss due to this flood.