Bandung, Indonesia Sentinel — A tornado, triggered by heavy rain and strong winds, caused significant damage to homes and places of worship in Sukabumi Regency, West Java, on Wednesday, October 2. According to preliminary reports from the Sukabumi Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), as of Wednesday night, the tornado had damaged 30 homes and two mosques.
Medi Abdul Hakim, the Head of Logistics and Emergency for Sukabumi BPBD, confirmed that two villages in Kabandungan District were hit by the tornado, namely Cipeuteuy and Cisarua villages.
Based on the data collected by Kabandungan Disaster Management officers, 30 homes in Cisarua Village were damaged, with 10 moderately and 20 lightly damaged. In Cipeuteuy Village, two mosques were reported damaged, though there was no report of residential homes affected by the tornado in this area.
Fortunately, no casualties have been reported. However, several residents were forced to evacuate to relatives’ homes due to the extent of the damage. A total of 10 households, consisting of 34 people, have left their homes in the aftermath of the disaster.
Previous Tornado Strikes in Sukabumi
Just 3 days earlier, Sukabumi Regency was also struck by another tornado. On Sunday, September 29, a tornado swept through the Warungkiara District, damaging 58 homes. The tornado hit four villages in Warungkiara at around 3 p.m. local time.
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In addition to damaging dozens of homes, the tornado also causes numbers of trees to fall. The fallen trees also hit a number of houses, cutting off electricity lines and blocking major roads.
While no fatalities or injuries were reported, the series of tornadoes has sparked concern among the local population as they brace for further extreme weather conditions.
Forecast of Extreme Weather and Potential Tornado
Meteorologists are warning that the recent shift in weather patterns across several regions of Indonesia may have contributed to the surge in tornado activity. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has indicated that tornadoes are more likely to occur during seasonal transitions and could also be triggered by extreme weather conditions.
BMKG has forecast that Sukabumi Regency is at risk of further extreme weather in the coming days, with heavy rains and strong winds potentially leading to hydrometeorological disasters, including tornadoes.
As local authorities continue to monitor the situation, residents are urged to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to mitigate the risks posed by these unpredictable weather events.
(Raidi/Agung)
