Disaster Mitigation Communication of the Serdang Bedagai Regional Government in Managing the Recovery of Flood Victims in 2025

Abstract

This study analyzes the mitigation communication strategy of the Serdang Bedagai Regional Government in managing the recovery of flood victims in 2025. The disaster had a widespread impact on at least 16,987 households across 11 districts, with the most severe infrastructure damage caused by the breaches of the Sei Belutu Dyke and the Senangkong River Dyke. Employing a descriptive qualitative method, this study dissects the phenomenon through the theoretical frameworks of the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model by Reynolds and Seeger (2005) and the pillars of disaster communication by Haddow and Haddow (2017). The results indicate that the Serdang Bedagai Regional Government successfully integrated the principles of Be First, Be Right, Be Credible, Express Empathy, and Promote Action into every recovery phase. This success was bolstered by leadership commitment through direct on-site disaster inspections and adaptive policies, such as shifting teaching and learning activities to an online system to ensure the safety of school communities. Furthermore, the transparency of logistics distribution and the optimal coordination of public services despite the crisis situation reflected a strong implementation of customer focus and situational awareness. This study concludes that the synchronization of data accuracy, empathetic messaging, and solid media partnerships serves as the key to the effectiveness of government communication in accelerating the post-disaster social and economic recovery of the community in Serdang Bedagai Regency.