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Heavy monsoon showers pounded Kerala on October 17 night with Idukki district bearing the brunt as flash floods and landslides caused destruction across the hill ranges. Torrential rain that began late in the evening inundated parts of Idukki, swept away vehicles, and forced authorities to open major dams as water levels rose alarmingly.
In the high-range panchayats of Kumily, Chakupallom, Vandanmedu, Karunapuram, and Nedumkandam, as well as Kattappana municipality, the relentless downpour triggered landslips and mudslides, flooding hundreds of houses and shops. Areas such as Cumbummettu, Balagram, Thookupalam, Kumily, Balanpilla City, and Koottar were among the worst affected. A landslip near Puttady, close to Puliyanmala, disrupted traffic on the Kumily–Munnar route, while widespread damage was reported from Kunthalampara near Kattappana.
The rains intensified in Kumily around 8 pm and continued through the night, flooding residential areas. Several families were trapped as water surged into homes. Some buildings were submerged and floods swept away vehicles. The Chappath bridge, linking Koottar to Alliyar, collapsed under the force of the currents.
The crisis deepened on October 18 when shutters of the Kallarkutty dam were opened, flooding low-lying areas. Water levels rose sharply in the Mullaperiyar dam, increasing from 132.9 ft on Friday night to 138.9 ft by evening, prompting Tamil Nadu to open all 13 spillway shutters. The Idukki reservoir also reported a steady rise, with the shutters of Kallar, Pambla, and Kallarkutty dams opened as a precautionary measure.
Apart from Idukki, several other parts of Kerala also faced severe flooding from Friday night through Saturday. In Malappuram, heavy rain inundated roads and around 50 houses in Vazhikkadavu, while the high-range regions of Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode experienced intense downpours that led to waterlogging and flash floods in multiple localities
Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine visited affected regions and directed officials to assess damages and accelerate rehabilitation measures. The minister told the media that maximum efforts were being made to rescue people from flood and landslide prone areas.
Meanwhile, The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heavy rainfall warnings for Kerala and Lakshadweep from October 18 to 24, 2025. According to the forecast, heavy (7–11 cm in 24 hours) to very heavy rainfall (12–20 cm in 24 hours) is likely at one or two places during this period.
Orange alerts have been declared for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, and Lakshadweep on October 18, and for Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasargod, and Lakshadweep on October 19.
Meanwhile, yellow alerts have been issued for several districts, including Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad, and others, between October 18 and 22, indicating the likelihood of continued moderate to heavy rainfall across the state. The IMD predicted rain or thundershowers in most parts of Kerala until October 24.