One month after deadly flash floods and landslides swept through large parts of Aceh, Indonesia, survivors are grappling with trauma described as “deeper, stranger and more personal” than that experienced during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The disaster, triggered by weeks of relentless rainfall and Cyclone Senyar, has affected not only Aceh, but also neighboring North Sumatra and West Sumatra provinces.
Devastation Beyond the Coastline
Twenty-one years ago, a massive earthquake off the coast of Sumatra unleashed towering waves that killed about 200,000 people in Aceh province. Survivors say this recent disaster feels different, invading every corner of daily life. The floods have killed more than 1,100 people and displaced over 457,000, according to the latest data from Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency. Thousands of houses were inundated, roads were cut off, and villages were buried under thick mud and debris.
“It was not like the tsunami that hit only the coast,” said Sulaiman, 47, a farmer from Aceh Besar Regency. “This water came from the sky and the hills, pouring into every house and every rice field. I screamed and thought it was all going to end again.”
Emotional Scars Run Deep
For Aini, 62, the trauma is both emotional and physical. She lost her home, livestock, and garden. “When the water rose, I thought I would die,” she recalled. “But later, when the water left, the silence was worse. It was like the land forgot us. It indeed forgot us.”
Dewi Ulfah, 52, said the flood felt even more devastating than the tsunami, during which she lost her husband and firstborn son. She had returned to her hometown in Pidie Jaya Regency after the 2004 disaster.
“I never expected to experience such a terrifying moment again,” she said. “It felt like the ground was betraying me once more. Not only me, but all the people of Aceh.”
Unlike the tsunami, which struck suddenly and largely affected coastal areas, this flash flood spread rapidly from the hills through lowland villages and into towns that had never experienced severe flooding before. The water also receded much slower, leaving behind thick mud.
Mental Health a Priority
In dozens of refugee camps, psychological scars are evident. Volunteers and aid workers report seeing survivors display symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress, including insomnia, anxiety and recurring flashbacks. “Children ask why the rain has become an enemy,” said Rony Alam, a volunteer from a Jakarta-based charity organization. “It was not only a flood; it was a creeping dread. Many survivors say this disaster exceeds the fear they felt during the 2004 tsunami.”
Aceh Governor Muzakir Manaf described the floods as a “second tsunami,” noting that conditions in several areas remained critical. Muhammad MTA, spokesman for the Aceh provincial government, told Xinhua that addressing mental health needs has become a priority alongside physical reconstruction.
“We are coordinating with community leaders and health services to support trauma healing,” he said. “Emotional recovery must go hand in hand with rebuilding homes and infrastructure.”
Local governments in West Aceh Regency have begun trauma-healing programs, including play therapy for children and support groups for adults. Victims are trying to heal one another, joking and staying cheerful while awaiting basic necessities.
“The tsunami took many lives,” Ulfah said. “But this flood took our peace. And we do not know how long it will take to feel safe again.”
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