JAKARTA - High tides driven by the supermoon have brought another round of tidal flooding to parts of North Jakarta and the Thousand Islands (Kepulauan Seribu) last week.

Jakarta’s local government has previously warned coastal residents of the Indonesian capital to stay alert ahead of the expected peak of tidal flooding, which occurred on December 5 at around 9 AM Jakarta time. An approximative total of 230,000 people reside in these areas.

Governor Pramono Anung also said the threat may continue later this month and that heavy rain is likely to peak in January, with weather modification planned if rainfall becomes extreme. More than 600 pumps have been prepared to manage flooding in vulnerable neighborhoods.

Tidal flooding also hit the area around Jakarta International Stadium, covering Jalan RE Martadinata with about 20 centimeters of seawater and slowing traffic as officers guided vehicles around deeper spots. Several motorbikes stalled after trying to push through the water, and public infrastructure workers helped riders move them to safety.

The government, through the DKI Jakarta Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), has previously prepared 257 evacuation sites for tidal and coastal flooding, with a total capacity of around over 39,000 people, as a precaution.

Floods have been hitting communities and local economies across Indonesia as the rainy season intensified on 4 and 5 December, including the deadly Sumatra flood that forced 2 million Indonesians to evacuate and left 800 dead.

Floods have also crippled mobility in parts of Sumatra, where damaged roads, broken bridges, and cut-off villages have disrupted the daily movement of workers. Local officials say thousands of people who rely on commuting to plantations, markets, and construction sites have been unable to reach their jobs for days, with small traders and informal workers among the hardest hit.

Indonesia’s National Agency for Disaster Countermeasure (BNPB) said tidal flooding in Subang struck three districts and affected 2,648 people. In Pesisir Barat, Lampung, heavy rain pushed rivers over their banks and inundated eight villages, impacting 114 families and damaging houses, a bridge, and farmland. And in Lumajang, strong winds and downpours toppled trees, killing one person and damaging 37 homes.