page_title: Cyclone Savannah
section_title: Indonesia
hierarchical_section_title: Cyclone Savannah / Impacts / Indonesia
caption_attribution_description: English: Tropical Low 17U over the eastern Indian Ocean, just south of Java, on 8 March 2019. The system would go on to become Severe (Intense) Tropical Cyclone Savannah.
context_page_description: Cyclone Savannah was a strong tropical cyclone that brought significant impacts to Java and Bali and minor impacts to Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands during March 2019. It was the sixteenth tropical low, sixth tropical cyclone and third severe tropical cyclone of the 2018–19 Australian region cyclone season. Savannah developed from a tropical low that formed well to the east of Christmas Island on 8 March. The system was slow to develop initially, but reached tropical cyclone intensity on 13 March after adopting a southwesterly track. Savannah underwent rapid intensification and reached peak intensity on 17 March as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale. Ten-minute sustained winds were estimated as 175 km/h, with a central barometric pressure of 951 hPa. One-minute sustained winds reached 185 km/h at this time, equivalent to a Category 3 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Weakening commenced soon afterwards, and responsibility for the system passed from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to Météo-France.
context_section_description: The Indonesian islands of Java and Bali were significantly affected by Savannah's precursor tropical low during the first half of March. Very heavy rainfall occurred across large parts of the islands as the tropical low tracked westwards, causing rapid river level rise, flooding and many landslides. A total of ten people lost their lives during the disaster, making Savannah the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Australian region since Tropical Cyclone Cempaka, which killed at least 41 people in Java in November 2017.
  The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics indicated that 148 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation fell in parts of Yogyakarta during 17 March. The regency of Bantul, located downstream from six major rivers, as well as the neighbouring Purworejo Regency, experienced widespread flooding with depths of up to 2 m (7 ft). More than 5,000 residents were forced to evacuate, and access to electricity to was cut by the floodwaters. Numerous landslides in Bantul were also triggered by the extreme rainfall, causing damage and hampering rescue and evacuation efforts. One landslide in Bantul's Imogiri district destroyed two houses at the bottom of a cliff, killing three people, and leaving one more missing. Another person was later swept away by floodwaters, and another was killed when a wall collapsed.
  The economic losses that occurred in Madiun Regency were the worst in two decades, with damages and losses amounting to more than Rp54 billion (US$3.8 million), and more than 5,700 families affected by the disaster. 5,086 houses were damaged by floodwaters throughout the region, and flooding and landslides destroyed three bridges and covered many roads, impeding transportation. A car crash occurred on a wet road in Madiun, resulting in the death of a five-year-old boy and serious injuries to two adults. 497 hectares (1230 acres) of rice fields were submerged, causing crops to fail and farmers to harvest early to prevent further damage. Significant livestock losses also occurred, including cows, goats and more than 4,000 chickens. In the nearby village of Klumutan, inundation of up to 5 m (16 ft) in depth damaged hundreds of houses. Two residents in a village in Madiun died of illness during the event, but were unable to be buried initially due to the flooding of the local cemetery.
  Further damage and agricultural losses occurred in the regencies of Ngawi, Tulungagung, Bojonegoro and Ponorogo, totalling more than Rp51 billion (US$3.6 million). In Ngawi, flooding caused approximately 1,400 hectares (3,460 acres) of agricultural land to become submerged, and damages and economic losses in that regency alone reached Rp33.2 billion (US$2.35 million). 1,183 hectares (2,923 acres) of agricultural land was damaged by flooding in Tulungagung, with crops of rice, melon, chili, long bean and onion affected. In Bojonegoro, flooding of the Solo River resulted in widespread impacts. Inundation occurred in 48 villages, affecting more than 1,600 families and causing 50 families to evacuate. A total of 2,097 hectares (5182 acres) of rice fields were submerged by the river water, as well as two kindergartens and three schools. Even after beginning to recede, the level of the Solo River was at above 27.44 m (90.03 ft) in Karangnongko District, causing the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management to issue red alerts for riverine flooding for areas further downstream. Flooding in Ponorogo from the Solo River caused five bridges to collapse, and submerged 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) of rice crops.
  Combined damage in the regencies of Magetan, Sukoharjo, Klaten and Bulelung exceeded Rp2 billion (US$140,000). In Magetan, flooding of several rivers caused significant damage to infrastructure, agricultural land and residential areas. 100 people were stranded when nearly 500 houses were flooded in two villages, and damage to roads further inhibited access to affected areas. Losses were sustained on agricultural land, and livestock were killed by the flooding. 379 hectares (937 acres) of rice fields were inundates in Sukoha
caption: Savannah's precursor tropical low located to the south of Java on 8 March
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