Tens of Thousands of Acehnese Affected by Floods, 8 Regions Under Disaster Emergency Status

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Tens of thousands of residents in nine districts/cities in Aceh have been affected by floods and landslides that have occurred over the past week. Regional heads in several areas hit by the disaster have declared a state of hydrometeorological disaster emergency.

Based on data collected by BPBA, during the period from November 18, 2025, to November 26, 2025, at 12:00 PM WIB, a total of 46,893 individuals were affected by flooding in nine districts/cities. Of this number, 1,497 residents were forced to evacuate due to the disaster. The majority of incidents were still triggered by heavy rainfall, strong winds, and unstable geological conditions, which resulted in flooding, landslides, and mudslides.

As of now, the flooding in several disaster-stricken areas has not receded. Water levels have been reported to reach one meter. Joint officers are still working to manage the disaster in each of these regions.

The Acting Head of the Aceh Disaster Management Agency (BPBA), Fadmi Ridwan, stated that the heads of regions in several districts/cities affected by flooding have declared a state of emergency due to hydrometeorological disasters.

"The districts that have declared a hydrometeorological disaster emergency status are Aceh Besar, Pidie, Aceh Utara, Singkil, Aceh Barat Daya, Aceh Tengah, Aceh Tenggara, and Aceh Barat," said Fadmi in an official statement on Wednesday (26/11/2025).

On Wednesday morning, floods and landslides also struck the city of Lhokseumawe. Four sub-districts affected by the floods are Banda Sakti, Blang Mangat, Muara Dua, and Muara Satu. In addition to inundating thousands of residents' homes, the floods also submerged the main roads in the area.

In addition to Lhokseumawe City, floods have also affected Langsa City, Bener Meriah Regency, Gayo Lues, and East Aceh. In Langsa City, the floods have inundated hundreds of homes with water levels ranging from 20 to 40 centimeters. Meanwhile, in Bener Meriah Regency, the rain has caused flooding in 10 sub-districts and triggered landslides at one location.

In East Aceh, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds since Saturday (22/11/2025) has caused flooding in 11 sub-districts. The flooding was triggered by overflow from drainage channels in residential areas.

According to Fadmi, local governments in each region are still focused on addressing disasters and assisting residents. Until now, BPBA continues to record the number of residents affected by the floods.

"BPBA continues to coordinate with BPBD in various regions and ensures that emergency response measures are implemented optimally. BPBA urges the public to remain vigilant against the potential for flooding, landslides, and soil movement, especially in areas with high rainfall," he said.

Meanwhile, the Communication Manager of PLN Aceh, Lukman Hakim, stated that the flash flood caused the high voltage overhead transmission cable (SUTT) of 150 kilovolts (Kv) on the Arun-Bireun segment to break due to the flood. This condition has disrupted the electricity supply in several areas of Aceh.

Currently, PLN has deployed hundreds of personnel and dozens of units of heavy equipment to restore five 150 kV high-voltage transmission towers in Aceh affected by flash floods. Four towers collapsed, and another damaged tower in Bireun Regency is still under repair.

Extreme weather in Aceh is triggered by the Tropical Cyclone Seed 95B, which has been identified since November 21, 2025, in the waters off the eastern coast of Aceh, Malacca Strait. The analysis indicates that 95B is increasing in intensity and triggering the potential for extreme weather, including heavy to extreme rainfall and strong winds in the regions of Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, and surrounding areas.

The head of BMKG, Teuku Faisal Fathani, stated that the community in the affected areas is urged to increase vigilance against the potential for extreme weather due to the impact of Cyclone Seed 95B. Currently, BMKG continues to monitor the intensity of 95B and requests relevant stakeholders to ensure mitigation measures to minimize any undesirable outcomes.

"The local government is on alert for the potential impacts of extreme weather such as the risk of flooding, coastal flooding, and fallen trees due to strong winds. Specifically for fishermen and maritime transport operators, it is essential to pay close attention to the conditions of high waves that pose a risk to navigation safety. Security and safety are our top priorities," said Faisal.

The Deputy for Meteorology at BMKG, Guswanto, stated that based on the analysis on November 26, 2025, at 01:00 WIB, this system is still located near the waters east of Aceh and is triggering the widespread growth of rain clouds. This condition has the potential to increase heavy to extreme rainfall accompanied by strong winds in the coastal areas of Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Riau.

"The chance of this seed developing into a tropical cyclone is quite high in the next 24 hours, considering the identification of increased strong winds of over 35 knots (65 km/h), thus the public is urged to remain vigilant against the potential for extreme weather in the near future," said Guswanto.

In the next 24 hours, Cyclone Seed 95B will have a direct impact on the weather and sea waves in Indonesia, particularly around Aceh and North Sumatra. According to the analysis results from BMKG, this system has the potential to cause heavy to extreme rainfall in Aceh and North Sumatra, as well as in parts of West Sumatra and Riau.

The 95B Cyclone Seed also has the potential to generate high waves (2.5-4.0 m) in the central Malacca Strait, the waters off North Sumatra, as well as the Indian Ocean west of Aceh to Nias. Meanwhile, moderate waves (1.25-2.5 m) are expected to occur in the northern Malacca Strait, the waters of Rokan Hilir, and Dumai-Bangkalis.

"The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) through the Jakarta TCWC will continue to conduct intensive monitoring for a full 24 hours on the movement of this system. BMKG emphasizes the importance of accessing official information through BMKG channels and avoiding the dissemination of unverified information," said BMKG Meteorology Director Andri Ramdhani.