The continuous heavy rainfall in the past days has caused severe flooding and landslides in several areas in Indonesia's North Sumatra province including Belawan, Sibolga, and Central Tapanuli. The disaster has disrupted commercial activities, cut off road access, and forced thousands of residents to evacuate homes.

Since November 24th, the incessant rain has caused rivers to overflow, resulting in flash floods and landslides in seven regencies in Northatra province. Large areas of the Belawan port area and surrounding commercial districts have been inundated, severely affecting logistics and trade operations.

In the afternoon of November27th, a strong earthquake struck off the coast of North Sumatra, further exacerbating the damage already caused by the flooding. The earthquake, which had a magnitude between .5 and 6.6, was centered near the island of Simeulue in the western waters of Sumatra. According to monitoring data from different agencies, the epic depth ranged from 25 to 57 kilometers. The earthquake occurred at around 11:56 a.m. local time, and strong tremors were felt Belawan and surrounding areas. Authorities have confirmed that the earthquake will not trigger a tsunami.

Impact on logistics and distribution

The continuous heavy rainfall has caused flooding in Belawan and surrounding areas. Roads have been submerged, port operations have been disrupted, and logistics and transportation have been directly affected.

Vehicular has been severely restricted due to several roads being inundated and impassable, severely impacting transportation.