JOIN USOvernight rains lash Chennai; many localities under water
Several localities in Chennai were flooded as heavy rains continued to lash the city since Saturday night, prompting the civic body to keep schools and other buildings ready to lodge people in the event of evacuating them from low-lying areas.
Overnight rains and the non-stop showers on Sunday morning brought back the scary memories of the 2015 floods that swamped the city. The city received 21 cm of rainfall in the past 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Sunday, even as the MeT department forecast heavy rains till Monday.
As the northeast monsoon (NEM) picked up momentum, Chennai continued to bear the brunt with many areas going under the water. Pictures of knee-deep water in several important junctions in Chennai dotted social media, especially Twitter.
Getting onto the field himself, Chief Minister M K Stalin visited several areas affected by the flood along with ministers K N Nehru, and PK Sekarbabu, and Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu. While interacting with people whose areas were inundated, Stalin assured them of all help.
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He also appealed to MPs and MLAs from the DMK to provide all possible help and relief to those affected. In Chennai, several areas, including Velachery, Perambur, Valasaravakkam, and Vadapalani, were flooded even as traffic snarls were reported from across the city. In Velachery, people living in low-lying areas parked their cars on flyovers in the area.
The city received 207 mm (20.7 cm) rainfall in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Sunday, the highest since December 2015 when the city was swamped due to heavy rains and sudden release of excess water from reservoirs that supply drinking water.
The rainfall received over the last 24 hours is much higher than the 162 mm (16.2 cm) that the city got in 2020 when Cyclone Nivar hit the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on November 25, 2020.
While Mylapore recorded 226 mm (22.6 cm) rainfall, Ambattur 20.5 cm), and Nungambakkam (20.7 cm). As rains continue to lash Chennai and neighbouring districts for the past few days, Poondi and Chembarambakkam reservoirs that supply drinking water to the city are fast inching towards their Full Reservoir Level (FRL) and excess water is being released.
Knee-deep water was reported from several localities in north Chennai where electricity supply was also suspended as a precautionary measure.
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