Village Isolated by Flash Floods, Residents Walk for Hours Seeking Help

Lusiana Pardede (45) was covered in mud and drenched in sweat when she arrived in Dolok Nauli Village, North Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra, on Thursday (27/11/2025) afternoon. She walked for three hours from her village, Pagaran Pisang, which was hit by flash floods and landslides. After traversing 10 kilometers of road buried under landslide debris at dozens of locations, she finally reached the nearest village.

"We have been isolated for three days, enduring flash floods and landslides that have occurred multiple times. There are seven residents who have died and have been successfully evacuated. Several other residents are still missing," said Lusiana.

Pagaran Pisang, along with its neighboring village, Sibalanga, are two villages in one area that have been isolated for three days since flash floods and landslides struck North Tapanuli, South Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli, and the city of Sibolga since Monday (24/11/2025).

In addition to those two villages, there are still many other isolated villages in North Sumatra. The western coastal area of North Sumatra cannot be accessed because the Tarutung-Sibolga road, which serves as the main route to the area, has been completely cut off for three days following flash floods and landslides that struck the region.

Lusiana stated that communication access from their village was completely cut off for three days. The electricity was out. Meanwhile, flash floods and landslides occurred several times. The most significant floods and landslides happened on Wednesday (26/11/2025) in the early hours.

According to Lusiana, dozens of houses were buried in a landslide in Pagaran Pisang and Sibalanga villages. "There was a father and his child who died buried in the mud. The mother was also buried in the mud, but we were able to save her because her head was not buried," said Lusiana.

Lusiana is grateful to finally access the nearest village after three hours of walking through paths covered in mud and fallen branches. She was stuck in the mud several times. She also had to climb a hill to get past the landslide debris.

Along the way, he was apprehensive due to the rain that was also falling. In the nearest village, six excavators were struggling to open access roads. For three days, joint officers from various agencies had cleared at least 20 landslide points along the 10-kilometer stretch of road.

However, as of Thursday afternoon, there are still around 50 remaining landslide points along the 20 kilometers of road at the border between North Tapanuli and South Tapanuli. Rain has also been falling almost throughout the day.

In villages that are already accessible, people still have to face difficulties in obtaining basic necessities and access to public transportation.

In Dolok Nauli Village, for instance, the community has been unable to farm for three days. In that village, at least 55 houses were severely damaged by flash floods.

According to Kompas, heavily damaged houses were uninhabitable due to mud reaching up to a meter deep. Some houses collapsed, swept away by the river current.

Manat Hutagalung (50), a resident of Dolok Nauli Village, went to his farm, which was also hit by flash floods. He harvested some cassava for his family's food for the next few days. They have run out of rice and have not been able to shop at the district center. The villagers received assistance, but it was insufficient for all the affected residents.

"Thank goodness we still have sweet potatoes that can be harvested. These sweet potatoes are enough for our food for the next few days," said Manat.

Manat, along with his wife, children, and grandchildren, sleeps at the evacuation post in the church. They sleep together with hundreds of other residents in the church.

The Head of Dolok Nauli Village, Jonas Aritonang, stated that flash floods and subsequent landslides continue to occur in the area. There are 55 houses belonging to residents that have been severely damaged in the village. Residents who have lost their homes or who live in areas prone to landslides and flash floods have chosen to sleep in evacuation posts.

Residents hope the government can take emergency response measures by opening road access to areas affected by the disaster.

Three national roads leading to Tapanuli Tengah, Tapanuli Selatan, and the city of Sibolga have been completely cut off for three days. Aside from these three routes, there are no other roads accessible to vehicles.

The only access to the area is via air routes. However, bad weather has also made the area inaccessible by air. North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution also canceled the helicopter flight to Central Tapanuli on Thursday (27/11/2025) at 11:00 AM WIB.

"The plan was to conduct mapping first on Thursday morning. However, due to unfavorable weather conditions, we have not been able to enter the Tapanuli Tengah and Sibolga areas. The rain continues," said Bobby in Medan.

Bobby stated that the government is focused on opening access to disaster-affected areas in the Tapanuli region, both via land routes and air routes. The opening of air access is assisted by the Air Force.

According to Bobby, there are still many residents in need of evacuation, logistical assistance, food, clean water, and other basic necessities. The government is working to open access in order to send aid in the near future. "There are still many residents who have not been evacuated, and logistical needs are also dwindling," he said.

The Head of the Public Relations Division of the North Sumatra Police, Commissioner Ferry Walintukan, stated that 12 districts and cities in North Sumatra have experienced flash floods and landslides due to heavy rain that has occurred since Sunday (23/11/2025).

As of Thursday (November 27, 2025), 43 people were reported dead and 88 missing due to the natural disaster in North Sumatra. "As many as 1,168 people have also been displaced in several areas," said Ferry.

The impact of the disaster is estimated to be much greater than reported, considering that many areas remain isolated, lacking mobile phone signals, and experiencing power outages.

The Secretary of the North Sumatra Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Herianto, stated that disaster management is facing difficulties due to disrupted communication and road access. Communication to the area has been paralyzed for three days. The two-way radio, which was initially still operational, has also been disconnected due to battery depletion and power outages.

As a result, data collection on the impacts of the disaster remains challenging. The data on disaster victims also varies significantly. There are still many areas that are inaccessible. According to Herianto, the most severe impacts of the disaster are located in Central Tapanuli, South Tapanuli, and the city of Sibolga.