Medan Mayor Rico Tri Putra Bayu Waas visited flood victims in Medan Labuhan District who were taking shelter at SD Negeri 060950 on Kolonel Yos Sudarso Street and Al-Ikhlas Mosque on Titi Pahlawan Street, Pekan Labuhan Village.
During the visit, Rico was accompanied by several regional apparatus leaders from the Medan Municipal Government, including the Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency, the Acting Head of the Water Resources, Public Works and Construction Department, and the Medan Labuhan District Head.
The first post visited was SD Negeri 060950 on Kolonel Yos Sudarso Street, Pekan Labuhan Village, Environment III. Although the weather had cleared, floodwaters had not receded around the school. Rolling up his pants, Rico Waas waded through the floodwaters to meet with evacuees placed on the second floor of the school building.
At the location, the Mayor greeted residents one by one and visited classrooms being used as evacuation shelters. According to data, there were 160 evacuees at this school, consisting of elderly people, adults, and children.
With full empathy, Rico Waas spoke with evacuees to hear directly about their conditions and needs. He instructed his staff to ensure all basic needs of residents, such as food, clean water, and health services, were properly met. The Mayor also reminded residents to maintain their health while in the evacuation shelters.
As a form of concern, Rico Waas personally distributed logistical assistance to the evacuees. The assistance included packaged meals, rice, blankets, tea, sugar, towels, mineral water, and instant noodles.
After leaving SD Negeri 060950, Rico and his entourage continued their inspection to the evacuation location at Al-Ikhlas Mosque on Titi Pahlawan Street, Environment VII, Martubung Village.
This post accommodated about 250 people, ranging from elderly people, adults, to children. As at the previous location, the Mayor also distributed logistical assistance and provided moral support to residents.
The Medan Labuhan District Head reported that flooding in his area affected two villages, with a total of 1,444 households or 4,510 people affected.
Flooding that hit Medan City was caused by heavy rain with high intensity that poured down since evening. The rainfall caused increased river water discharge, resulting in overflow and inundation in residential areas. This incident occurred around 11:00 PM and spread to various villages in seven districts.
Based on data, flooding affected seven districts and 17 villages, namely Medan Maimun District, Medan Johor District, Medan Polonia District, Medan Labuhan District, Medan Selayang District, Medan Petisah District, and Medan Baru District.
The total affected area covered 3,181 housing units, with 3,599 households and 10,391 people. There were no reports of fatalities in this incident. However, 69 people were evacuated, consisting of elderly people, children, toddlers, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.
Data also showed other evacuation locations besides Medan Labuhan District, namely Medan Johor District at MDTA Muttaqin Mosque in Kwala Bekala Village, accommodating 350 evacuees, and Medan Selayang District at Al-Qamar Mosque in Beringin Village, accommodating 85 evacuees.
The Regional Disaster Management Agency immediately carried out various emergency response measures, from evacuating residents, mapping affected areas, monitoring weather and water discharge, to advising the public to remain alert to sudden increases in water discharge.