In the aftermath of devastating floods and landslides that swept through parts of Sumatra, stories of survival and resilience have echoed from crowded evacuation shelters.

At a modest elementary school turned evacuation center in Padang, police officer Orin Wahyuni and her colleagues have been leading trauma healing sessions for children.

“Most of these kids saw their homes being swept away,” Orin said, her voice heavy with empathy. “Some told me, ‘Sister, I saw my house carried away by the flood.’ ....There is certainly psychological shock there."

The floods, triggered by days of relentless rain, have left thousands homeless.

For Safnida, 67, survival is bittersweet. “We can’t expect life to always be good, right?” she said, sitting on a thin mat in the shelter. “We’re fortunate to still be alive, but what worries me now is what comes next—our life going forward.”

For others, the disaster raises deeper questions.

Rangga Adiputra, a 31-year-old teacher whose home was swept away, believes the catastrophe was worsened by illegal logging in the hills above his village.

Environmental groups have long warned that rampant logging in Sumatra’s highlands destabilizes slopes and reduces the land’s ability to absorb rainwater, making floods and landslides more severe.

While official investigations are pending, the calls for action are growing louder.

For now, the focus remains on survival and recovery.

Roads to affected villages are still cut off, complicating aid delivery.

AP video by Ade Yuandha