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In south Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district, unprecedented heavy rainfall has led to widespread flooding, impacting several districts, including Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, and Kanyakumari. The India Meteorological Department predicts heavy to extreme rainfall in the state, with a tragic toll of one person reported in the Tuticorin district.
A video depicts the Thoothukudi Tamil Nadu’s bypass road submerged under knee-deep water, leaving numerous trucks stranded on the highway. The incessant rainfall has flooded houses near the bypass road, with fast-flowing water descending down the slope. Kayalpattinam, near Thoothukudi, recorded a staggering 93.2 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, surpassing its annual average.
Visuals of Thoothukudi bypass road in Tamil Nadu as district recorded Exceptionally heavy Rainfall
Kayalpattinam recorded mammoth 932.0mm Rainfall in last 24hrs till 6am
Tiruchendur 679.0mm
Srivaikuntam 618.0mm
Kovilpatti 495.0mm
Sathankulam 466.0mm
Thoothukudi 361.4mm pic.twitter.com/qHYHaqyWNx— Weatherman Shubham (@shubhamtorres09) December 18, 2023
Torrential rains continue to wreak havoc, with areas like Tirunelveli witnessing 60 cm of rain in just 15 hours. Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli District recorded 26 cm, while Kanyakumari experienced 17.3 cm of rainfall and More Rain Predicted in Tamil Nadu
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The severity of the situation has prompted a public holiday in the affected districts, including the closure of schools, colleges, banks, private establishments, and public sector firms. Knee-to-waist-deep water has submerged parts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanyakumari districts as dams release water due to the cyclonic circulation over the Comorin area.
Chief Minister M K Stalin has deployed ministers and senior bureaucrats for relief and rescue operations. District Collectors have been instructed to prepare relief centers and boats, with early evacuation if necessary. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been mobilized, evacuating 7,500 people to 84 relief camps.
Southern Railway reports the suspension of traffic in the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur section due to washed-out ballast and hanging tracks. Train services in the southern regions have been fully canceled, partially suspended, or diverted as a result of the adverse weather conditions.
