Hundreds Dead, Thousands Displaced in South India amid Weeks of Extreme Rain

‘Endless’ rain in south India kills hundreds, destroys homes and leaves tens of thousands displaced

Weeks of extreme winter monsoon rain, described as the heaviest in living memory, have caused much devastation across south India, leaving tens of thousands of people displaced.

“In November, the heaviest rain in decades, aggravated by Tropical Cyclone ROVAN, brought widespread flooding across the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh causing more than 200 deaths and affecting 1.8 million people, said a report.

See also

• Extreme Rain Shuts Down Indian City (Round 2)

 

Extreme Rain Shuts Down Indian City (Round 2)

UPDATED

No Power, No Transport in Chennai

Extreme rain events in India’s Tamil Nadu state, said to be the heaviest the region has experienced in 50 years, have triggered severe flooding forcing the main airport in southern India to close, cutting off roads and highways, and leaving tens of thousands of people stranded.

Chennai [metro pop: 9 million] is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It’s located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, and is the largest industrial and commercial hub of southern India. It is the country’s fifth-largest city and fourth most populous metro area, and 36th-largest urban area in the world.

Floods in Tamil Nadu state have killed hundreds of people since last month, when 160 hours of non-stop rain paralyzed the city.

About 20 percent of the population have been affecetd, according to local estimates.

The city’s airport was forced to shut down indefinitely on Tuesday after floodwaters buried the runway, according to local reports.

Floodwaters have also inundated railroad tracks, forcing many cancellations.

Ranked 4th in hosting the largest number of Fortune 500 Indian companies, following Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, with a nominal economy of about US$60 billion, Chennai has a broad industrial base in the automobile, computer, IT, manufacturing and others sectors.

Cyclone THANE Kills Dozens, Destroys or Damages Thousands of Homes in India

Strong Cyclone THANE Wreaks Havoc Across India’s Tamil Nadu Province

Cyclone THANE struck the Tamil Nadu coast, leaving at least 2 dozen dead and causing extensive damage across the Cuddalore district and the Union Territory of Puduchery.

Disaster Calendar 2011 – December 30

[December 30, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,538 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Tamil Nadu, India.Cyclone THANE struck the Tamil Nadu coast with winds of up to 140kmh, leaving at least 2 dozen people dead and causing extensive damage across the Cuddalore district and the Union Territory of Puduchery.
  • At least 5,000 coastal homes have been damaged or destroyed.
  • Thousands of trees have been uprooted.
  • Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu is the worst-hit area, with roads severely damaged.
  • The Union Territory of Puduchery is cut-off from the nearby districts, reports said.

Cyclone THANE. IR-NHC Enhancement. Source: CIMSS

• Thailand. Official death toll from epic flooding in Thailand has climbed to 790 with three people still missing (!)
  • Floods affected up to 14 million people across 66 of Thailand’s 76 provinces.
  • Up to 1.5 million homes have been destroyed or damaged.
  • The government estimates overall flood-related damage at  Bt1,300bn ($41.4bn), a report said.
  • Flooding, which began in late July, still persists in the provinces of Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani affecting up to 2.5 million people.
  • Thai government also declared cold spell disaster zones in 26 northern and northeastern provinces in November.

Global Disaster Links

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities  (EDRO Forecast)
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)

• 2010 Disasters [Includes Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Cyclone Laila Forces 50,000 Indians to Evacuate

Indian Authorities Evacuate up to 50,000 as TC Laila makes landfall

Up to 50,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Laila approaches southern India.

“Already the Andhra Pradesh coast is being battered by high tides and fierce winds. Even though the windfall is expected only in the evening, the waves and the winds have already caused extensive damage in coastal districts, where trees have been uprooted, cars smashed and roads damaged. Communication and power supplies have also been disrupted and air and train services have come to a halt,” a government official said.

At least 13 people have already been killed in the past 36 hours  as a result of  torrential rains, according to various News Bulletins.

Tropical Cyclone Laila. Source of image:  CIMSS Tropical Cyclones Group. Click image to enlarge.

TC Laila has maxi,u, sustained winds of about 92.5km/hr with gusts of up to 120km/hr as of 12:00UTC, 20 May 2010, according to JTWC, CIMSS and other sources.

So far the most damaging aspect of TC Laila has been its accompanying torrential rains that have pounded the  state Tamil Nadu.

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