The Avalanche region in Nilgiris district has now recorded the wettest 24 hours ever to be seen in Tamil Nadu, according to Tamil Nadu Weatherman Pradeep John. On Friday morning, over a period of 24 hours, the area had recorded 911 millimetres of rain. This comes a day after heavy rainfall as well, as on Thursday, the area had recorded 820 millimetres of rain, breaking a 76-year-old record in the state.
The Tamil Nadu weatherman, in a Facebook post, has stated that this is now a south Indian record in terms of the amount of rainfall received. According to DT Next, Avalanche has seen a massive downpour from August 4 which is predicted to continue through the weekend. The Nilgiris as a whole has received 2,304 millimetres of rainfall in the 24-hour-window till Thursday morning. The Indian Meteorological Department has not released official numbers yet.
The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA) had sounded an alert on Thursday and instructed members of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to move to Nilgiris District as a precautionary move. This, after dams including Kundah and Avalanche, reached their full capacity. Excess water sent downstream through the Pilloor dam according to reports. 16 dams in Nilgiris district are reportedly brimming at this point.
25 personnel from the NDRF team in Arakonnam have been moved to Ooty, the Nilgiris district headquarters along with boats and other equipment on the district administration's request.
According to Covai Post, the local administration has alerted people living on river banks to move to safer places. District authorities have opened 16 camps, where 484 persons are being sheltered and people residing in low lying areas have been asked to shift as well. Water has reportedly entered 600 houses in Gudalur and Pandalur areas.
The district collectors of Coimbatore and Nilgiris have announced holiday for schools and colleges in the districts on Friday due to incessant rainfall. The water inflow to Bhavanisagar dam near Sathyamangalam stood at 46,000 cusecs and the inflow to the Pillur dam stood at over 38,000 cusecs as on Thursday. With heavy rainfall predicted for two more days in the region, the water flow is expected to increase.
Valparai in Coimbatore district also recorded heavy rainfall in the last 48 hours, resulting in water-logging in many places in the area. Since the outflow from Pillur dam also stood at 38,000 cusecs on Thursday, the water in Bhavani river has risen.