Central Java Hit By Sudden Flash Floods, Dozens Trapped, Eight Hurt, Rivers Burst Banks Overnight

Semarang, Indonesia— Flash floods hit Central Java on October 31, 2026, trapping dozens of residents in their homes and injuring eight people as rivers burst after hours of heavy rain.

Rain started around midnight in the highlands above Semarang and Surakarta. The Meteorology Agency said more than 150 millimeters fell in four hours. Small rivers that feed the Bengawan Solo and Serayu overflowed. Water hit villages at 3 a.m. while people slept.

The Central Java disaster agency said eight injuries were confirmed by noon. Most were cuts and fractures from people trying to escape through fast water. One woman broke her leg after falling off her roof. Dozens were trapped. The exact number was unclear because phone signal was down in three subdistricts.

In Klaten, water reached the second floor of brick houses. A farmer said he woke up to water at his chest. He climbed onto a cupboard with his two children. He waited two hours. No boat came. He tied a rope to a window and pulled them onto the roof.

Roads were cut. The main Solo-Yogyakarta road was under 80 centimeters of muddy water. Cars were abandoned. Motorbikes floated. A bridge near Boyolali collapsed after its footing was scoured. Trucks carrying rice were stuck on both sides. Drivers slept in the mud.

The provincial government opened 10 evacuation posts. About 1,200 people were inside by afternoon. Many had no documents. One village head said 60 homes in his village were fully submerged. He said pumps were useless. Water kept coming from the hills.

The floods were made worse by clogged drainage and deforestation upstream. Officials said illegal logging on Mount Merapi slopes had thinned the forest. Concrete in new housing estates blocked natural retention. A local NGO said it had warned about this for two years.

Search and rescue teams from Basarnas deployed rubber boats in Sragen and Sukoharjo. They pulled people from rooftops. One team capsized. No one drowned, but equipment was lost. The agency said more rain was forecast tonight and urged people to stay in shelters.

By evening, water was receding in some areas but rising in others downstream. The death toll had not increased, but dozens were still trapped. Officials said they would work through the night.