Cyclone Fengal Hits Tamil Nadu: A Year's Rainfall in Just 36 Hours

Cyclone Fengal has unleashed a year's worth of rainfall in 36 hours in Tamil Nadu, leading to significant flooding and disruption. Authorities have set up relief camps and are focused on restoring normalcy, with rescue operations ongoing in heavily affected areas.

Cyclone Fengal delivered relentless rainfall equivalent to a year's total in just 36 hours across parts of Tamil Nadu, according to Rajesh Lakhani, the state's Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management. Areas received approximately 56 centimeters of rain, leading to widespread waterlogging and disruption.

"With the cyclone's passage, our focus is on damage restoration," Lakhani told ANI. Notably, Viluppuram has 49 relief camps as authorities attempt to return life to normalcy post-cyclone, which left substantial numbers of fallen trees and disrupted traffic and power supplies. Early evacuations helped, and efforts continue statewide to restore order.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with local teams, is actively engaged in rescue operations. Heavy rainfall persists post-cyclone, complicating efforts in districts like Cuddalore. The IMD reported Fengal made landfall between Puducherry and North Tamil Nadu Saturday night, with high winds causing chaos.

(With inputs from agencies.)