Severe flooding overwhelmed parts of the Indonesian island of Java this week, leaving at least eight dead and several others missing.
By Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Nov. 5, 2021 11:08 AM EST | Updated Nov. 6, 2021 6:42 AM EST
Heavy thunderstorms unleashed torrential rainfall that triggered deadly flash flooding across portions of the Indonesian island of Java this week.
As of Saturday, at least eight people had been killed, and three others remained missing as a result of the expansive flash flooding, according to Al Jazeera.
The area that suffered the worst conditions from the flooding rainfall included portions of the city of Batu, located in the province of East Java. Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency said rivers on the slopes of Mount Arjuno, part of the large Arjuno-Welirang mountain range, overflowed their banks on Thursday and sent muddy floodwaters into portions of the city, according to The Associated Press.
A man inspects the damage following a flash flood in Bulukerto village, Batu, East Java, Indonesia, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. Rivers on the slopes of Mount Arjuno overflowed their banks on Thursday and their muddy waters inundated five hamlets in East Java province, leaving a number of people killed or missing. (AP Photo/Trisnadi)
These floodwaters quickly inundated low-lying and poor drainage areas of Batu, turning some streets into muddy, rushing rivers. At least 15 people were initially swept away by floodwaters. Six were confirmed dead and six were later rescued, according to the AP. Additionally, two deaths occurred in the nearby city of Malang, according to Al Jazeera.
Harrowing video taken from around the region showed large vehicles being dragged away by raging floodwaters as powerful, almost waterfall-like water flowed down neighborhood alleys.
Once floodwaters receded for some locations on Friday, the true extent of the damage unleashed on the area was revealed. The robust flow of floodwaters caused some streets to cave in, and any roadways that managed to withstand the flooding were left caked with a deep layer of mud.
Major structural damage to buildings could also be seen around the affected areas as floodwaters tore away at exterior walls and caused collapses.
While rounds of stronger storms are not uncommon for portions of Indonesia during early November, torrential downpours can trigger dangerous conditions at any time of the year in the country.
Since early Thursday, rainfall totals of 2-4 inches (500-100 mm) have been common across Java. Due to the island's diverse terrain, some locations received much heavier rain from these storms as close to 8 inches (200 mm) of rain fell.
Many of the highest rainfall totals of the event were centered on the island's higher terrain, like Mount Arjuno, likely due to a phenomenon known as upslope flow or upsloping.
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"Upslope flow can commonly be defined as air that is flowing towards higher terrain -- such as a mountain range -- and is forced to rise," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham explained. "Because of the higher terrain, the air has nowhere to go except up."
When the air is forced upwards over higher terrain, the intensity of precipitation also tends to increase.
As rescue and recovery efforts continue, along with days or even weeks of cleanup ahead, AccuWeather forecasters say Mother Nature will mostly cooperate.
"The area will have the usual daily risk of scattered showers and thunderstorms through the weekend," AccuWeather Meteorologist Tony Zartman said.
"However, the rain does not look to be as heavy as what resulted in the recent flooding."
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