Flooding in Yogyakarta, Indonesia Caused by Lahar

 A man gathers his belongings from his home in the flooded area.

The city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia is under a state of emergency after massive flooding caused by a lahar from Mt. Merapi pushed thousands of gallons of water and volcanic debris through the city.  Hundreds of houses have been damaged by flooding and many have been evacuated; this is not to say the visitors cannot enter one man has said.  Four districts in Indonesia have been effected by the flooding including Gondolayu, Danurejan, Prawirodirjan and Keparakan with some flooding reported to be up to 2 meters in some areas.  There are many refugees from the lahar however there have not been any deaths reported.  Evacuation was difficult however as the lahar blocked several main roadways and dismantled several bridges this in turn has made rescue and aid difficult to enter in the golden hours after the flooding.  What is most fascinating is that people showed up in droves to see such a disaster which in turn also led to massive traffic jams which left rescue and aid difficult.  Makeshift levees were created along the river but scientists are warning that the river will not be able to contain the massive lahar flows that may still occur and so people are still being warned to stay at least 300 meters aways from the river.  What is really great is that the government has a very good evacuation plan in place and have set up 94 evacuation points for nearly 13,000 residents and they also have shelters to accommodate people as well.  It is thought that the lahar was caused after numerous eruptions and a heavy rainfall within the last few days which led to the large lahar. 

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/flooding-pushes-yogyakarta-into-a-state-of-emergency/409395