The Great Medan Flood (not really)

It is the rainy season.   Almost everyday it rains hard.  The river that runs through my neighborhood is almost always full and the streets in front of PPIA (the place I live) flood a little almost every time it rains.  Last night was a little different.

 

I woke this morning to find that the river had overflowed its banks and the flood waters had reached my front door.  Since my front door is up two steps from the ground level, no water entered my house.  The PPIA grounds were completed flooded.  The security guards had caught and killed a small eel that they planned on eating for lunch.   However, only a few ground floor rooms were flooded, including the Children’s Library.  No books were lost, thankfully.  The street in front was almost too deep for cars to drive through.  Some did, and even some motorcyclists dared to try to cross the water.   One picture shows children standing in water that is ankle deep.  However, they are standing on a road divider that about 18 inches tall.

 

Since I had to catch a flight to Jakarta today, I was faced with a small problem. A taxi could not enter to pick me up.  So I called the driver who was scheduled to pick me up and told me to meet me in front of the Catholic Church down the street.  I asked the security guards to help me carry my bags.  I did not have many bags but did not want to be imbalanced as I had to walk through muddy water that sometimes would up to my knees. I rolled up my pants, wore rubber sandals, and carried my shoes.   Since I could not see where I was walking, I had to walk slowly and carefully.

 

We moved slowly toward dry land and found my taxi.  The flood had only affected a few blocks but I suspect there were other parts of Medan that had flooded.  The street in front of my university here is given to flooding.