Flash Flood Hits 120 Homes in Padang

A flash flood that hit Padang, West Sumatra, on October 10, 2026 affected around 120 inundated homes. The disaster also damaged key public infrastructure supporting residents' daily lives.

Damage was reported to irrigation networks, a weir, and about 50 meters of embankment. Two clean-water supply (SPAM) intake buildings were hit, while a 1.5-kilometer water transmission pipe broke. One mosque was also among the affected facilities.

Indonesia's Public Works Ministry is now accelerating emergency response. Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo stressed that residents' safety and public mobility remain the priorities in handling the disaster. The worst-affected neighborhoods include settlements along the Batang Air Dingin River, where the emergency embankment was later built.

200-Meter Emergency Embankment Completed

Through River Basin Authority (BWS) Sumatra V Padang, the ministry completed a 200-meter emergency embankment along the Batang Air Dingin River, directly facing the Lumin Park housing complex. The embankment, about 3 meters high, was built to reduce the risk of follow-on floods and improve protection for residential areas.

Construction was supported by three excavators that began working in stages on Sunday (10/11/2026). To meet residents' clean-water needs, BWS Sumatra V Padang also deployed five water tanker trucks.

"The government works without pause to ensure isolated areas are handled as quickly as possible. Public safety and mobility are the priority," Hanggodo said, quoted from the Government Communications Agency (Bakom) RI statement on Tuesday (10/13/2026).

River Normalization and Infrastructure Recovery

Beyond emergency measures, the Public Works Ministry is preparing river normalization and flood-control infrastructure as part of post-disaster recovery. Crews are repairing river channels and clearing sediment from intake buildings.

Recovery also targets regional connectivity. The national road segment Tapan-Batas Jambi in South Pesisir Regency, hit by landslides at 14 points, is functional again and passable by vehicles on one lane.

The government says adequate heavy equipment and personnel remain deployed so that infrastructure functions and public safety can be restored soon.