Cyclone Remal Strikes Again: Cloudburst-like heavy rainfalls cause “mental anguish” to people of Kerala

In a sudden turn of events, Kochi, a city in the Ernakulam district of Kerala, was hit by a heavy downpour on the morning of May 28. The rain was so intense that it disrupted normal life, making it feel like a cloudburst had occurred.

The relentless rain, accompanied by strong winds, lasted for a few hours, leaving many areas waterlogged. Roads were submerged, and three houses suffered damage. The city’s traffic came to a standstill, leaving motorists stranded.

Following this, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded the alert for Ernakulam district from ‘yellow’ to ‘red’, indicating the possibility of extremely heavy rainfall in some areas.

Cyclone Remal’s Impact

The weather station at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) in Kalamassery recorded rainfall of 98.4 mm within an hour from 9 a.m. on May 28. “This amount of rainfall in an hour is considered a cloudburst. The heavy rain will continue intermittently for the next few days due to Cyclone Remal. The westerly wind has also picked up, pulling more moisture from the Arabian Sea towards the land,” explained S. Abhilash, director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cusat.

Different areas received varying amounts of rainfall. Kalamassery municipality area recorded 150 mm of rain during a three-hour period, while Palluruthy received 98 mm, Choondi 54 mm, and Mattancherry 34.5 mm.

IT Hub Faces the Brunt

The IT hub at Infopark Kochi in Thrikkakara was severely affected as the campus and the roads leading to it were completely flooded. Employees commuting to the park on two-wheelers and cars struggled to navigate through the knee-deep water.

Traffic from Kakkanad to Palarivattom along the Civil Line Road and the national highway stretch between Palarivattom and Vytilla and Palarivattom and Edappally was a nightmare for motorists. They were stuck in these stretches for hours. The service roads of the highway were also jam-packed. The ongoing national highway widening works at Edappally added to the chaos. Traffic along the flooded Sahodaran Ayyappan Road was also affected.

Residents Express Frustration

“It took us over two hours to reach Edappally from Kakkanad. What are they doing about these pathetic drains?” complained a car passenger.

Dinesh Neelakantan, who heads operations at a film school at Edappally, got stuck on the Palarivattom flyover for 40 minutes. He eventually returned home as he couldn’t reach his office. A couple on their way to Aster Medcity from Thripunithura missed their doctor’s appointment due to being stranded on the highway.

Padmaja S. Menon, councillor for the Ernakulam South division, plans to approach the Kerala High Court over the “mental anguish” caused to the residents and shopkeepers due to recurrent flooding.

Tragic Incidents

In a tragic incident, Eldhose, an 18-year-old from Kombanad village in Ernakulam rural, drowned after getting caught in the strong current in Paniyeli Thodu on May 27 evening. He was rushed to a hospital in Kothamangalam but unfortunately passed away around 7 p.m.

The house of renowned critic M. Leelavathy at Kalamassery was flooded in the rainfall, resulting in the loss of a part of her valuable book collection. She has since moved in with her son.

Other Incidents

Severe flooding was reported in most areas of Kochi Corporation, with Kanayannur taluk being the worst affected, along with Kalamassery municipality. A tree fell on a KSRTC bus that stopped at a bus stand at Thoppumpady, but luckily, no one was injured.

A small country boat carrying five elderly fishermen capsized in the sea near Saudi in Rameshwaram village in West Kochi. The fishermen managed to swim to safety and were admitted to Karuvelipady hospital, although they were not seriously injured.

The front portion of a house, including a well, caved in at Kusumagiri in Kakkanad village. The occupants of the house are set to be relocated.

Houses in Rameshwaram colony in the low-lying area of Nazreth division were inundated. Shaila Thadhevoose, councillor for the Chullickal division in West Kochi, said that around 100 houses were flooded. “The flooding occurred due to the kayal mouth not being cleaned, which would have allowed smooth flow of water through Rameshwaram canal and Pandarachira thodu,” she explained.

A camp has been opened in Kakkanad for 20 members from nine families facing soil erosion at Keerelimala.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel across Ernakulam district were kept busy as distress calls, mainly about uprooted trees, kept pouring in at fire stations.