Kerala: houses flooded, power disrupted as rains hit normal life

Houses in low lying areas of Kerala were flooded following heavy rains on 30 May, while the accompanying strong winds uprooted trees, damaged homes and caused power disruptions, throwing normal life into disarray across the state.

In Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, there were reports of several homes getting flooded, forcing people to move to relief camps.

In Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts, heavy rains and strong winds uprooted trees and damaged electricity poles and transformers, leading to partial and complete destruction of hundreds of homes and power outage for hours, the authorities said.

Educational institutions in Kottayam district will remain closed on Saturday, district authorities said.

Train services have been affected with some, including the Mangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express, being diverted due to fallen trees on the tracks, while several others were rescheduled or delayed, authorities said.

Amid the widespread damage across the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Kannur and Kasaragod and an orange alert in the remaining six districts of the state.

A red alert by IMD indicates heavy to extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert means very heavy rain of 11 cm to 20 cm, and a yellow alert means heavy rainfall between 6 cm and 11 cm.

State revenue minister K. Rajan, told reporters at a press conference in Thrissur, that the westerly winds are expected to continue for the next five days and people should be cautious and avoid unnecessary trips, especially to hilly areas.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) said that there is a possibility of high waves ranging from 3 to 3.9 meters along the Kerala coast till 5.30 p.m. on Saturday and advised fishermen and coastal residents to be cautious.