Jakarta Floods: Heavy Rainfall Submerges Roads and Evacuates Residents
Jakarta, Indonesia, is grappling with widespread flooding following a night of intense rainfall. As of Sunday afternoon, March 8, 2026, the Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) DKI Jakarta reported that 148 RTs (neighborhood units) and 20 roads are inundated, with some areas experiencing water levels reaching 1.7 meters.
Heavy Rainfall as the Primary Cause
According to DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung, the flooding is a direct result of exceptionally high rainfall, measuring 264 mm per day. “Today in Jakarta and its surroundings, the rainfall is 264 mm per day. That is very, very, very high rainfall,” he stated to journalists detikNews.
Authorities have been working to pump out floodwaters, and are monitoring water discharge from surrounding buffer areas, including Bogor and Tangerang, which are also experiencing heavy rainfall.
Emergency Response and Evacuations
BPBD DKI Jakarta, led by Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency Isnawa Adji, is coordinating with stakeholders to address the flooding detikNews. Approximately 1,200 pumps have been deployed, with a focus on frequently flooded areas like Jalan Daan Mogot and DI Panjaitan.
The Brimob Polda Metro Jaya Unit assisted in evacuating residents from areas with water levels reaching up to 2 meters on Jalan Kalandianti, Pela Mampang Village, South Jakarta. Evacuations prioritized the elderly and children detikNews.
Impact on Transportation
The Mampang Prapatan Underpass in South Jakarta was temporarily closed due to flooding, with water levels reaching 10 cm. Route 6V of Transjakarta was temporarily diverted, and the Duren Tiga-Mampang Prapatan bus stop was out of service. As of 2:08 PM local time, the floodwaters had receded, and traffic and Transjakarta services resumed normal operations detikNews.
Long-Term Flood Mitigation Efforts
Governor Anung acknowledged that completely eliminating flooding in Jakarta is challenging due to rising sea levels. However, the DKI Provincial Government is working to normalize three rivers – Ciliwung, Cakung Lama, and Krukut – with the Cakung Lama River normalization project targeted for completion in 2027. This is expected to reduce the severity of future flooding detikNews.
Isnawa Adji currently serves as the Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of DKI Jakarta Province Wikipedia.