Tamil Nadu Reels Under Torrential Rain; Chennai Residents Rescued by Boats

Coastal and interior Tamil Nadu were battered by torrential rainfall throughout Wednesday as the remnants of cyclonic storm Ditwah, now degraded into a well-marked low-pressure area over the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast, continued to dump massive volumes of water, transforming streets into rivers and residential colonies into isolated islands across multiple districts.

In a harrowing midnight-style rescue amid daylight, Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services deployed boats to evacuate nine stranded residents from their inundated homes in Chennai’s Red Hills suburb, ferrying them to safety before shifting them to government relief camps; meanwhile, knee-to-waist-deep water engulfed prominent city localities such as Nungambakkam, Perambur, Vyasarpadi, Kilpauk, and several low-lying areas of Ramanathapuram, marking the third consecutive day of severe disruption that has crippled daily wage earners, small traders, and vehicular movement.

With the India Meteorological Department predicting further slow southwestward movement of the system across north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry before it weakens into an ordinary low-pressure area within the next 24 hours, district administrations preemptively declared a complete holiday for all schools and colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Cuddalore, and other affected regions, sparing thousands of students from navigating treacherous flooded roads.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu Sees Second Bus Disaster in 24 Hours; 13 Injured

Even sacred tradition refused to bow to the deluge: defying relentless downpour and gusty winds, priests at the revered Arunachaleshwar temple in Tiruvannamalai ascended the holy hill at dawn and solemnly lit the Bharani Deepam, formally inaugurating the grand Karthigai Deepam festival as hundreds of devotees, undeterred by the soaking rains, gathered in devotion—an enduring symbol of faith triumphing over nature’s fury.

Greater Chennai Corporation teams worked round-the-clock deploying high-capacity pumps to clear critical subways and arterial roads, while more than 200 relief camps across the city provided hot meals, drinking water, and temporary shelter to displaced families; civic officials pledged uninterrupted efforts to prevent prolonged inundation, assuring citizens that every resource was being mobilised to restore normalcy at the earliest in the face of this unrelenting weather onslaught.

Also Read: Heavy Rains Shift Westward Today as Ditwah Weakens; Western Ghats on Alert