Floods in Semarang Reduced Traders' Income, Economic Conditions Have Not Recovered Even Though Waters Have Receded

JOICE FITIRA AZKA (30802300028)

Mrs. Sri and her husband sit in front of their shop in the Kaligawe area of Semarang after the flood receded. Although they have been able to resume selling, their income has not yet fully recovered.

Semarang, November 8, 2025 — After several days of heavy rain, parts of Semarang City were again flooded. The high waters temporarily paralyzed residents in and around Kaligawe. Although the water has receded, the impact is still felt by residents, especially small vendors who rely on daily income.

 

One food vendor in the Kaligawe area, Mrs. Sri, recounted her experience during the flood. She said that during the flood, her stall couldn't open because the water reached the front of her stall. "During the flood, my income dropped significantly. Usually, customers are busy from morning to evening, but it was very quiet. People couldn't leave their homes because the roads were flooded," she said when met at her stall.

 

Mrs. Sri added that after the water receded, she immediately cleaned the stall and resumed business as usual. However, conditions have not fully recovered. "We can reopen now, but customers aren't as busy as before. Many of our customers' homes were flooded, so they're still cleaning up at home," she said with a faint smile.

 

 In addition to the lack of customers, she also admitted to having difficulty obtaining food because the market where she shops was flooded. Several vendors in the market were unable to open because their stalls were submerged, reducing the food supply. "It was difficult to buy vegetables at that time, sometimes I had to eat noodles and eggs, which are easy to cook," she said.

This flood not only reduced the vendors' income but also caused losses to their merchandise and business equipment. Many vendors were forced to throw away food because it was damaged or spoiled due to being unable to sell during the flood.

According to Mrs. Sri, this situation forced many small vendors to start from scratch. "When floods like this happen, we lose a lot. But what can we do? The important thing is that we can start selling again," she said.

Now, conditions in the Kaligawe area have begun to return to normal. Roads that were previously flooded are passable, and residents are returning to their normal activities. However, vendors still hope that the flooding will not happen again