Flooding Brings Jakarta to a Halt

Thousands evacuated from one of Asia's biggest cities

Flooding brought one of Asia's megacities to a halt on Thursday, as monsoon rainwater in the central business district reached a foot and a half, and almost 10-feet in other parts of the city.

By today, flood-related incidents killed at least 12 people, and close to 20,000 have been evacuated. The government has put the city of 10 million on emergency alert until Jan. 27 and deployed the police and military to assist flood victims.

The flooding is certain to put pressure on the city's popular new governor, Joko Widodo. He was elected in September based on populist promises to tackle Jakarta's notorious gridlock, aging infrastructure, and the various problems that come with overcrowding, such as waste disposal and access to clean water.