Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JAKARTA311
2007-02-06 08:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
February 6 Update On Flooding In Jakarta
how-toVZCZCXRO9028 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #0311 0370806 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 060806Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3158 INFO RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0406 RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 0810 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1331 RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS JAKARTA 000311
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SES-O, EAP/MTS, EAP/EX, S/CT, DS/IP/EAP,
DS/DSS/ITA, DS/CC
BANGKOK FOR COMPANY C
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC AMGT CASC PGOV ID
SUBJECT: February 6 Update On Flooding In Jakarta
Ref: Jakarta 0304
UNCLAS JAKARTA 000311
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SES-O, EAP/MTS, EAP/EX, S/CT, DS/IP/EAP,
DS/DSS/ITA, DS/CC
BANGKOK FOR COMPANY C
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC AMGT CASC PGOV ID
SUBJECT: February 6 Update On Flooding In Jakarta
Ref: Jakarta 0304
1. Extremely heavy rains overnight were mitigated somewhat by a dry
and partly sunny day in Jakarta as of 15:00 Tuesday. Morning
rush-hour was difficult with standing water sporadically throughout
the city, but improved as the day wore on. Meteorologists continue
to anticipate further rain over the next two weeks.
2. Government offices, embassies and businesses remain hampered by
the same conditions: reduced staffing, intermittent or incomplete
utilities and transportation bottlenecks. Not much change in the
political situation; managing rescue efforts, the water flow through
the city and, once it's done, the cleanup are the top priorities.
As before, the public remains calm, cooperative and fairly
quiescent. Local staff who remember The Great Flood of 2002 see
this year's deluge as decidedly worse, especially in terms of how
widespread the effects of the flooding are. Much more of the city
is under water than in 2002, and The Jakarta Post in an editorial
yesterday called it the worst flooding in Jakarta's history.
Ascertaining the numbers of displaced persons is proving an inexact
science. The official GOI figure on Sunday was 200,000; the BBC is
reporting 340,000 as being homeless.
3. The Embassy was relatively well-staffed today, with almost all
Americans getting into the Embassy as well as a large number of LES
staff. Facilities and Warehouse were staffed by some 70% of their
FSN employees. Approximately 85% of our motor pool drivers were
able to get to work. 60% of Information Service Center staff was
present. Some commutes from the south of the city took two and half
hours; more than double the normal commute time.
4. The Library of Congress office is running off of
generator-supplied power. Efforts to restore power at the Navy's
NAMRU2 facility were initially successful but subsequently failed;
emergency power is being supplied to the critical freezer units
there through a generator, and the ICASS staff is working with
NAMRU2 to supply a small back-up generator in case the primary
fails.
5. Several housing units that lost power yesterday in the early
morning hours were restored in the late afternoon/early evening, and
at this time there are no reports of Embassy housing units without
either city power or, in a small number of cases, generator power.
6. Travel to and from the airport is taking an average of two-plus
hours using back roads and imaginative routing (normal travel time
is 45-60 minutes).
7. Embassy communication systems are generally working, although
there are intermittent problems with phone lines. Internet is still
out in many places throughout the city. The Embassy has set up some
temporarily vacant housing units in the nearby Prapatan compound for
use by emergency FSN staff who are not able to commute reliably. We
also have MREs and cots staged at the embassy in case staff needs to
seek shelter within the Chancery.
8. Our FSN Association is working with Management staff to identify
FSNs most in need of support, and the Mission has started a drive to
raise funds, food and clothing for those most in need. We will work
with the Department on accessing the central FSN Support Fund if
appropriate.
Pascoe
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SES-O, EAP/MTS, EAP/EX, S/CT, DS/IP/EAP,
DS/DSS/ITA, DS/CC
BANGKOK FOR COMPANY C
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC AMGT CASC PGOV ID
SUBJECT: February 6 Update On Flooding In Jakarta
Ref: Jakarta 0304
1. Extremely heavy rains overnight were mitigated somewhat by a dry
and partly sunny day in Jakarta as of 15:00 Tuesday. Morning
rush-hour was difficult with standing water sporadically throughout
the city, but improved as the day wore on. Meteorologists continue
to anticipate further rain over the next two weeks.
2. Government offices, embassies and businesses remain hampered by
the same conditions: reduced staffing, intermittent or incomplete
utilities and transportation bottlenecks. Not much change in the
political situation; managing rescue efforts, the water flow through
the city and, once it's done, the cleanup are the top priorities.
As before, the public remains calm, cooperative and fairly
quiescent. Local staff who remember The Great Flood of 2002 see
this year's deluge as decidedly worse, especially in terms of how
widespread the effects of the flooding are. Much more of the city
is under water than in 2002, and The Jakarta Post in an editorial
yesterday called it the worst flooding in Jakarta's history.
Ascertaining the numbers of displaced persons is proving an inexact
science. The official GOI figure on Sunday was 200,000; the BBC is
reporting 340,000 as being homeless.
3. The Embassy was relatively well-staffed today, with almost all
Americans getting into the Embassy as well as a large number of LES
staff. Facilities and Warehouse were staffed by some 70% of their
FSN employees. Approximately 85% of our motor pool drivers were
able to get to work. 60% of Information Service Center staff was
present. Some commutes from the south of the city took two and half
hours; more than double the normal commute time.
4. The Library of Congress office is running off of
generator-supplied power. Efforts to restore power at the Navy's
NAMRU2 facility were initially successful but subsequently failed;
emergency power is being supplied to the critical freezer units
there through a generator, and the ICASS staff is working with
NAMRU2 to supply a small back-up generator in case the primary
fails.
5. Several housing units that lost power yesterday in the early
morning hours were restored in the late afternoon/early evening, and
at this time there are no reports of Embassy housing units without
either city power or, in a small number of cases, generator power.
6. Travel to and from the airport is taking an average of two-plus
hours using back roads and imaginative routing (normal travel time
is 45-60 minutes).
7. Embassy communication systems are generally working, although
there are intermittent problems with phone lines. Internet is still
out in many places throughout the city. The Embassy has set up some
temporarily vacant housing units in the nearby Prapatan compound for
use by emergency FSN staff who are not able to commute reliably. We
also have MREs and cots staged at the embassy in case staff needs to
seek shelter within the Chancery.
8. Our FSN Association is working with Management staff to identify
FSNs most in need of support, and the Mission has started a drive to
raise funds, food and clothing for those most in need. We will work
with the Department on accessing the central FSN Support Fund if
appropriate.
Pascoe