U.S. EMBASSY  WARDEN MESSAGE

U.S. Embassy Jakarta
U.S. Consulate General Surabaya
U.S. Consulate Medan
Warden Message:  Prepare for flooding during rainy season
January 30, 2009

As we approach the time of year when Indonesia experiences its heaviest rainfall, flooding can be dangerous.  The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta would like to remind everyone of simple steps to prepare for this:

1. If there is heavy, sustained rainfall that increases the potential for flooding, you should keep abreast of local weather reports.  If you must travel in a vehicle, let someone know your destination.  Ensure that your gas tank is no less than three-quarters full and that your cell phone is sufficiently charged.

2. It is important to know alternate routes to and from your destination.  For those of you who are experiencing your first rainy season in Indonesia, it may be advisable to talk to your neighbors about what to expect regarding the routes in your area.

3. When driving, exercise the utmost caution when approaching deep, standing water.  Standing water poses a different set of dangers than water that has turned into small rivers.  Many roads have uncovered drainage ditches on each side that are quickly covered up by high water, becoming hazards.  Observe what other vehicles are doing and copy successful routes.

4. In recent years, many Americans experienced power outages and were unable to get their generators working.  Others found themselves isolated due to high water on the streets near their residences.  Now is the time to confirm you have an ample supply of food, water, LP gas, flashlights and batteries should you find yourself isolated.

Register with the U.S. Embassy and Consulate

Americans living and traveling in Indonesia are urged to register and update their contact information with the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, U.S. Consulate Medan or U.S. Consular Agency in Bali.  Registration facilitates the U.S. Mission’s contact with Americans in emergency situations, and registration may be done on the internet and in advance of travel.  Information on registering can be found at the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Affairs website at http://travelregistration.state.gov and at the Embassy’s website at http://jakarta.usembassy.gov.  The Embassy website posts all Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, Worldwide Cautions, and recent warden messages.

Sign Up for SMS Alerts

Americans are also strongly recommended to sign up for the Short Message Service (SMS) alerts.  SMS messages are sent out only to relay critical and important information to American registrants. To sign up compose a SMS on your Indonesian cell phone using the following format and send it to phone number 9388. 

REG<space>ALRT<space>LASTNAME#FIRSTNAME

Sample: REG ALRT BROWN#JOHN

After registering for the service, each subscriber will receive a SMS message confirming their registration with the system. Subscribers will be charged Rp1,000 per SMS message by the cell phone service provider for each message sent to you by the Embassy. 

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov , where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings can be found.  Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.  These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

The Embassy is located at Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 4-5, Jakarta; the 24-hour telephone number is 62-21-3435-9000.  The telephone number of the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya is 62-31-295-6400; the number for the U.S. Consulate in Medan is 62-61-415-2200; the number for the U.S. Consular Agency in Bali is 62-361-233-605.