Aftershocks Keep Manggarai Timur Families in Tents Three Weeks After Flores Quake

Labuan Bajo — Three weeks after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake and tsunami struck Flores, many families in Manggarai Timur were still reluctant to sleep in damaged houses, choosing instead to spend nights in evacuation shelters as aftershocks continued to rattle the region.

A local report from Borong on Monday, 7 September 2026, described residents returning to posts at night in Manggarai Timur, while national monitoring by Indonesia’s meteorology agency recorded more than 13,000 aftershocks across Nusa Tenggara Timur by early that week.

Families stay in tents as tremors continue

Coverage from Borong in Manggarai Timur described tents lining village areas and school grounds, with residents ranging from children to older people still living in temporary shelters three weeks after the main quake on 15 August 2026.

At SDI Wae Ciu in North Lamba Leda district, dozens of tents remained occupied, with evacuees resting inside or moving around the school grounds, according to the Borong-based report.

The earthquake, which Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) measured at magnitude 7.7, struck off Flores in the early hours of 15 August and generated a tsunami recorded at several coastal stations, including Pota in Manggarai Timur.

BMKG bulletins and subsequent media reports noted thousands of aftershocks in the weeks that followed, with the largest reaching magnitude 6.2 and lower-magnitude tremors occurring repeatedly in districts such as Manggarai and Manggarai Timur.

Night-time fear drives residents back to posts

The Borong report quoted evacuees describing tremors felt two to three times a day and anxiety that intensifies after dark.

One resident recounted that sleep had become difficult, with families attempting to stay awake at night because of fear that strong shaking could return while they were inside their homes.

Evacuees said that even inside tents viewed as safer than damaged structures, they still ran outside and shouted when the ground began to move, and spoke of rumbling and sounds from beneath the ground that reinforced their fear.

The accounts suggest that temporary accommodation has not eased the psychological impact of repeated tremors, particularly for those whose houses were heavily damaged.

Balancing homes and communal shelters

Another family in Reok, Manggarai, told the Borong-based outlet that part of their house had been damaged but that they had begun using the property again during the day while maintaining a tent in the yard.

They described returning to an integrated evacuation post in Barangkolong at night, saying the heat inside the tent during the day made it difficult to stay there continuously.

The family also reported going back to the post when earthquakes occurred during daylight hours, illustrating how some residents are trying to balance proximity to their homes with the perceived safety of communal evacuation sites.

Across Manggarai Timur and neighbouring districts, local media described both community-run and integrated posts, with residents choosing between home‑yard tents and larger shelters depending on the time of day and their assessment of risk.

Aftershock numbers and ongoing vigilance

The Borong report cited regional monitoring data indicating 13,156 aftershocks had been recorded by Monday morning, 7 September 2026, three weeks after the main quake.

National figures from BMKG and other outlets around the same period reported more than 11,000 to over 12,000 aftershocks in Flores and surrounding areas by early September, underscoring the persistence of seismic activity.

BMKG has repeatedly urged residents to remain vigilant around damaged buildings and to follow local government guidance on structural safety, even as evacuation tents remain part of daily life for many families along the Trans‑Flores corridor.

Sources

• Pos-Kupang.com (Tribunnews regional) – Korban Gempa di Manggarai Timur Masih Ketakutan pada Malam Hari, Kembali ke Posko Pengungsian
• BMKG – Laporan Awal Analisis InSAR Gempa Flores 2026 M7.7
• Media Indonesia – Belum Berhenti, Gempa Susulan NTT Tembus 11.422 Kejadian