The storm that wasn’t: how Chennai fared Premium

Tamil Nadu government's swift response to northeast monsoon downpour in Chennai, with flood relief and disaster management efforts.

When this year’s first rain spell of northeast monsoon arrived with a downpour a few days ago, scenes of inundation from previous years were indeed repeated. But many areas of the city recovered within a day, partly because of the concerted efforts and immediate preparation of Tamil Nadu government agencies to face extreme situations and weather warning, and also because the rain stopped earlier than expected.

Also Read: In Pictures | Aftermath of Tamil Nadu rains

Seeking lessons from last year’s Cyclone Michaung that spelled disaster, the government had prepared for disaster management and planned for flood-relief and rescue operations. About 300 flood-relief centres were opened and food was distributed through 98 community kitchens. The field reviews by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Ministers and officials helped accelerate flood-management work in different parts of the city.

Also Read: How Cyclone Michaung formed, intensified, rained, and dissipated | Explained

Sanitation workers and Greater Chennai Corporation workers persevered round the clock, bailing out stagnant water with heavy-duty pumps and clearing garbage and sewage. The appointment of nodal officers to coordinate among agencies helped to monitor the work.

Alert downgraded

Although Chennai recorded an average rainfall of 13 cm-14 cm on October 15, parts of the city and those on the fringes received more than 20 cm. Cholavaram, with the heaviest rainfall of 30 cm, Red Hills with 28 cm, and Avadi with 25 cm, bore the brunt. In contrast to the extreme weather event predicted for over two days when the Regional Meteorological Centre issued a red alert, rainfall ceased on October 16 as the depression changed its trajectory and weakened. S. Balachandran, Additional Director-General of Meteorology, Chennai, said, “There is no perfect forecasting system, and not all systems are fully understood. Each depression behaves differently due to thermodynamical conditions. When the system was in the ocean, there was a risk involved; which is why, we issued the alert. It was to caution people not to panic. Understanding weather systems is a continuous process.”