Severe weather conditions are causing havoc in several parts of Indonesia, notably in Bali. Heavy rainfall since Wednesday night until Thursday morning has led to flooding in bali: the Kuta area. Despite the inconvenience, foreigners have turned the flooded streets into an opportunity for surfing.
Videos circulating on social media show foreigners gathering along Kuta Beach Road while flooding in Bali on Thursday, shirtless and carrying surfboards. One foreigner even laid on a surfboard in the middle of the road, mimicking surfing on the beach. This playful activity took place around 8:00 AM local time, amidst continuing heavy rain and knee-high flooding along Kuta Beach Road.
Meanwhile, in the Kerobokan area of Badung, flooding was even more severe. Video footage captured water entering a villa, reaching waist-high levels for adults. Despite the situation, male occupants of the villa appeared relaxed. Some were cooking in the kitchen, while others lounged on floating sofas or played with children’s toys in the floodwaters.
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Meanwhile, the Head of the Water Resources Division of the Badung Public Works and Spatial Planning Office, Anak Agung Rama Putra, who directly monitored the flood situation in Kuta, revealed that the water started to inundate the streets since early morning.
“The water started rising around 3:30 AM,” said Agung Rama on Thursday.
Putra claimed that the flooding due to last night’s rain was not too severe. The water was only at the calf level of an adult. Moreover, it only pooled at several points along Kuta Beach Road.
Efforts to drain the water were made by opening the drain covers on the roadside and using water pumps. The flooding has now begun to recede.
“We were somewhat late in draining the water. So we had to deploy water pumps. Now, the flood has receded,” said Putra.
According to him, floods after heavy rain in Kuta Beach Road rarely occur. The flooding, which began this morning, was caused by the high water discharge from the Tukad Mati River, Kuta, due to last night’s rain.
The large volume of rainwater flowing into the drainage channels along Kuta Beach Road was also full. As a result, rainwater overflowed onto Kuta Beach Road and several other points in the Kuta area.
“Because the water discharge in Tukad Mati is too high. All the flooded areas in Kuta lead to the Tukad Mati River. So, (the rainwater) overflows everywhere. It reached (several sections of) Bypass Ngurah Rai Simpang Siur,” he said.
