Bali’s Worst Floods in a Decade Claim 14 Lives
Bali, Indonesia — At least 14 people have lost their lives in what officials are calling Bali’s worst flooding in ten years, triggered by torrential rains that swept across the island. The severe weather caused rivers to overflow, flooding large swaths of the popular tourist destination and severely impacting residents and local infrastructure.
The intense downpours, which dropped more than 385 millimeters of rain in just 24 hours according to the climatological station in Bali, caused rivers to burst their banks and landslides to block major roads. Two bridges have also been damaged, complicating rescue and relief efforts. Although the rain has stopped and water levels are beginning to recede, search and rescue teams are still working to locate survivors in the hardest-hit areas.
The capital city of Denpasar was among the most affected locations, accounting for eight of the deaths reported. Two individuals remain missing there. Other fatalities were reported from Jembrana Regency in southwest Bali, where two people died from electrocution and were swept away by floodwaters, as well as from Gianyar and Badung regions.
Hundreds of residents have been evacuated from their homes and transported to temporary shelters, especially in the Jembrana district, continuing through multiple days of efforts to assist those displaced. In Denpasar, flooding was so severe that two buildings collapsed, raising concerns about structural safety amid the severe weather conditions.
Local officials expressed shock at the scale of the flooding. A Bali resident, Tasha, told BBC News Indonesia, "People here were shocked. The flooding was so bad. I thought Bali had adequate drainage." Indeed, clogged drainage systems, reportedly exacerbated by rubbish and poor waste management, have been blamed for worsening the flooding in some areas. Bali has long faced challenges with waste disposal and infrastructure, issues that contributed to the severity of this disaster.
In response to the crisis, the provincial government declared a state of emergency lasting one week. President Prabowo Subianto extended his deep condolences in an official statement and ordered relevant agencies to respond swiftly, underscoring the importance of delivering targeted aid to affected communities.
Nyoman Sidakarya, head of Bali’s search and rescue agency, acknowledged the logistical challenges rescuers face, noting that "floods are everywhere, even trucks can barely pass through." Meanwhile, neighboring East Nusa Tenggara province suffered its own severe weather impacts, with at least three deaths reported, several injuries, and ongoing search operations for missing persons.
Bali remains under a severe weather warning, though officials forecast that rainfall will lessen starting Thursday. Flash floods and landslides frequently threaten the Indonesian archipelago during the rainy season, and experts suggest climate change is increasingly intensifying these natural disasters.
The ongoing recovery efforts focus on helping displaced residents, repairing damaged infrastructure, and addressing persistent issues such as drainage and waste management to better prepare Bali for future extreme weather events. With its vital tourism economy also disrupted by the floods, authorities face the dual task of safeguarding residents and restoring normalcy to the island in the weeks ahead.
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