India – Floods Leave 12 Dead and Over 34,000 Displaced in Kerala

A second spell of heavy monsoon rainfall has caused severe flooding in parts of the state of Kerala in southern India.

Heavy rain that began around 09 July, 2018, has caused flooding in 13 districts. At least 12 people have died and 6 reported missing during the period 09 to 17 July.

As of 17 July, 34,693 people had moved to 265 relief camps after flood water inundated low-lying areas. Thirty-six houses have been completely destroyed while 1,214 suffered partial damage.

According to reports from India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the districts currently affected include Kollam, Kasaragod, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Palakad, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Kottyam, Idukki, Thiruvanthapuram and Wayanad.

Schools have been closed in affected areas for the last few days. Two teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) consisting of 85 rescuers with 7 boats have been deployed.

Kerala’s State Disaster Management Authority said that further heavy rain of up to 200 mm in 24 hours is expected until 21 July, 2018, and warned of possible further flooding and landslides.

Rainfall and Rivers in Kerala

Between 01 June and 17 July, Idukki (1567.8 mm), Kottyam (1435.3 mm) and Palakkad (1182.6 mm) have recorded rainfall levels more than 40% higher than normal according to the India Meteorological Department.

In a 24 hour period to 17 July, 2018, Idukki recorded 64.2 mm of rain and Ernakulam 56.9 mm.

India’s Central Water Commission said via that “due to very heavy rainfall to isolated extremely heavy rainfall in Ernakulam, Alapuzzah and Idukki districts of Kerala, most of the rivers in around Ernakulam are rising.”

Monsoon in India 2018

This year’s monsoon rain first hit parts of Kerala in early June, causing deadly flooding and affecting 14 districts.

Rain, flooding and landslides have continued in the state since then and NDMA says that 81 people have died and over 8,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed since the start of the monsoon this year.

At least 11 other states have been severely affected by the monsoon rain so far this year, including Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat.

According to the latest statistics from NDMA, a total of 511 people have lost their lives and 176 people have been injured as a result of the monsoon. Around 55,000 houses have been damaged and livelihoods severely affected, in particular agriculture where thousands of livestock have been destroyed and 81,147 hectares of farm land and crops damaged.

Social Media

Meanwhile in Pala town, Kerala!#NoBlameGames pic.twitter.com/tHlTiVKqjT

— Porinju Veliyath (@porinju) July 18, 2018

Few rain pics, Stay safe friends! pic.twitter.com/Ghm9UAq7kV

— Porinju Veliyath (@porinju) July 18, 2018

Kerala Ernakulam railway station#rainsinkerala#Rainfall #NewsAlert #NewsToday #monsoon #MonsoonInIndia#floods #floodsinKerala pic.twitter.com/4ZZFOh8f25

— Manjula Nair (@manjnair) July 17, 2018

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