Heavy rainfall impacted several southern districts of Tamil Nadu, including Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Tenkasi on Sunday, December 17. This was due to the influence of a cyclonic circulation over the Indian Ocean and southwest Bay of Bengal off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi recorded 932 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, marking the highest rainfall ever recorded in the plains of Tamil Nadu.
Due to the intense rainfall, a public holiday has been declared in Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi districts on Monday, December 18. The heavy rainfall led to inundation in various residential areas, including Tiruchendur, Srivaikuntam, Sathankulam, and Kovilpatti, with at least 10 locations receiving more than 100 mm of rainfall. The Tirunelveli government medical hospital was also flooded as a result of the extremely severe downpour.
Several residential areas were inundated with homes experiencing water levels rising five to six feet, prompting residents to seek assistance through social media. Several towns have been isolated from the rest of the district as a result of the intense rains. The flooding also led to roads caving in Thoothukudi. In one incident, a fire engine got stuck on a caved-in road.
Authorities, including the Collectors of Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts, have issued warnings to the public to avoid the Thamirabarani river as discharge rates have increased since 8 am on December 17.
Tirunelveli Collector KP Karthikeyan said that the storage level in Papanasam dam reached about 80%, Servalaru dam reached 72%, and Manimuthar reservoir reached 45% by 8 am. Additionally, 12,000 cubic feet water was released from Pachaiyar, Kodumudiyar, and Nambiyar dams. PWD officials have released 3,000 cusecs of water into the Thamirabarani river due to continuous rainfall in various parts of the district, and the water flow in the river may rise up to 5,000 cusecs.
Southern Railways has cancelled more than 17 trains destined for various locations in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Kanyakumari districts, as well as those passing through these areas. The National Highway connecting Madurai with Tirunelveli also experienced flooding. Operations at Thoothukudi airport came to a halt, with flights bound for Thoothukudi either being diverted or cancelled. In response to the situation, approximately 1,000 firefighters from neighbouring districts, accompanied by 67 fire engines and 43 boats, have been dispatched to assist in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, and Kanyakumari.
Chief Minister M K Stalin has mobilised ministers and senior bureaucrats for relief and rescue operations, assigning a senior bureaucrat to monitor each affected district. Stalin has also directed District Collectors to keep relief centres and boats prepared in vulnerable areas and to evacuate people early if necessary. Additionally, two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, each comprising 50 members, have been dispatched to Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts. Furthermore, three State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed in Kanyakumari district to address the emergency situation.
