# 404
The flooding in Jakarta has overtaken Flu Burung as the big story in Indonesia, and with good reason. Some areas of this city of 12 million people are under 12 feet of water. Reports of more than 300,000 people forced from their homes, and many more trapped, and unable to evacuate, are in the papers and on the TV.
These are the headlines from the Jakarta Post
Top Latest News
Floods kills 20, leaves 200,000 homeless, reports say
(2/4/2007 1:47:53 PM)Flood victims badly need food, clean water
(2/3/2007 11:11:38 AM)Many areas in Jakarta hit by floods, activities halted
(2/2/2007 3:49:03 PM)
General News
JAKARTA UNDERWATER: An aerial View shows a vast flooded area in Cipulir and Ulujami subdistricts, South Jakarta. Heavy rains from Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon have caused flooding in Jakarta due to poor drainage system and lack of flood control facilities. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)
Yudhoyono tells Greater Jakarta to mitigate annual flooding
(2/4/2007 6:21:52 PM)High water level halts evacuation of flood victims
(2/4/2007 4:44:04 PM)Floods worsen, victims cry for helps
(2/4/2007 3:07:45 PM)
There are reports of massive power outages, contaminated water, food shortages, and shelters overflowing with refugees. The culling activities are presumably on hold for now.
We simply aren't getting any new reports from the field regarding new patients entering hospitals, and I doubt we will for some time. The situation on the ground is confused, and the rains are expected to continue for weeks.
The health implications of this are enormous. People crammed into close quarters, many now forced to consume suspect water, and sanitary conditions worse than usual. This will also, undoubtedly, increase the mosquito population, and thus increase the incidence of dengue fever.
How all of this will affect Indonesia's battle against bird flu is unknown, but none of it will be helpful. We are unlikely to get much in the way of information over the coming weeks. These folks are dealing with another natural disaster, and have their hands full.
