Jakarta's Flood

Jakarta banjir, bo ..... !!

If I've known this, I would have called in for sick to office.

Since thursday night, the rain was quite heavy. I had worried the rain may create flood in certain areas.

Friday morning, 02 February 2007, I went to work while monitoring the radio. They had received many informations and requests about road conditions. Apparently, Jakarta was in heavy traffic, thus, highways to enter Jakarta from nearby suburb areas were closed. That was made in preventing worse traffic inside Jakarta. I was listening closely while driving my car, cautiously avoided few areas with minor flood. I was arrived in office about 9.30 am. It was pretty early for me, who usually arrived around 8.45 am for the past week.
During the day, things went on as usual, with e-mails, customer calls and meeting, although some colleagues were not make it for work. Later in the afternoon, IT had announced e-mails went down then some colleagues were home early, as they were worried about their homes.
I began to wonder if highways to Jakarta had re-opened. Well, it wasn't yet and I was really in worry. I've called my husband to check if he was ok, as to realize the telecommunication system was in trouble. I said to myself, this evening, perhaps, I will not reach home.

During the anxiety, I took a decision to go home with my colleague and left the car in office. I was not ready to drive and face possibility to get stuck or lost in traffic all by myself.
There were several choices of road to take. We had started to leave office by 5.15 pm. We took Pondok Indah highway, had exit to Pondok Indah and passed the mall. When we've reached Jl. Panjang, this was the time we've reached 'hell'. We were jammed in that road for 3 hours. We've arrived there by 6.00 pm and got pass by 9.00 pm. I don't think it is a long road. Perhaps, it's 2 km, I guess. The journey continued to Taman Anggrek Mall. it was 9.30 pm when I saw the mall. Afterwads, I called my husband and he had to use motorcyle to pick me up.

Finally, I've reached home by 10.15 pm, exhausted and felt sick. The main road from Taman Angreek mall to my house (Jl. Tomang Raya) was covered by flood. My hubby was forced to find alternate ways to get me.

From news, I'm aware some areas may have flood in 40 cm, 90 cm, 1 meter, 1.5 meter height. It is even up to adult's chest and throat for worst part. The flood was forecasted as 5 year-cycle event, since the last heavy flood was in year 2002. But yesterday was awful. I'm never to get trapped in that situation until yesterday and it traumatized me. Weather forecast is predicting more rains still to come for the next two weeks. If the coming monday should look suspicious to me, I'll better off from work!

My prayers go to those of flood victims.