Jessie Stoelwinder: The force of nature in Bali with flash floods has been shocking to witness first hand

Torrential rains tore through Bali this week, leaving a trail of destruction and chaos in their wake. The official death toll stands at 15 as of Thursday, with many more still missing after unseasonal flash floods hit the Indonesian island from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning. Hundreds were evacuated as buildings collapsed, rivers burst beyond their banks, cars floated down major roads, debris spilled through houses and landslides blocked major thoroughfares in multiple regions, including Denpasar, Jembrana and Ubud. On assignment in Jimbaran in Bali’s south, I was oblivious to the carnage unfolding. I’ve been here many times and am no stranger to sudden bursts of heavy rain during the wet season. But September still technically falls within the dry season, so like many others I initially viewed the downpour as mildly bothersome. It caught us all off guard: both tourists and locals. To be honest, I was confused and disappointed that Wednesday’s planned activity had been suddenly cancelled – I was to experience what is referred to as “the world’s only hotel arrival by river raft” at Four Seasons Bali at Sayan. Barack Obama and his family did the same rafting adventure on the Ayung River soon after his presidential term ended in 2017, which saw them navigate class II rapids before being dropped directly on the doorstep of the famed luxury hotel. I was excited to follow in their flow, which feels naive now I know the severity of the deluge. As my driver navigated back-to-back traffic jams from Jimbaran to Ubud, I began to see the path of devastation caused by the flooding. Stone bridges had been smashed to pieces, debris and mud clogged pathways and a power pole leaned precariously over a main road. Everywhere on the streets, people were out surveying the wreckage and clearing hazards as they sloshed through water up to their knees. Once we arrived in Ubud, the driver showed me where one of the landslides happened and we both remarked it was a saving grace the incident occurred in the morning when no one was around. Others weren’t so lucky. Later in the day I saw countless videos of whole houses submerged and was moved to tears hearing of a dogs’ refuge that was annihilated by the storm. While I am grateful to be safe in Bali, I can’t help but feel heavy knowing the locals will be dealing with the aftermath of this catastrophe for a long time to come.