Story perspectives

Chennai records 363mm rain, flooding prompts rescue plans

By Drooid · Oct 18, 2026, 10:32 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna inspected rain-water clearance in Chennai after record rainfall.
Parrys Corner recorded 363 mm of rain in 24 hours, the city’s heaviest since Cyclone Michaung 2023.
Kathivakkam logged 310.2 mm, half falling between 9:30 pm and 10:30 pm Saturday.
Heavy flooding stranded vehicles and slowed traffic on Anna Salai and G N Road.
Officials urged residents to call helpline 1913 while NDRF discussed rescue plans at the Ripon Building.

History

Historical Context

In November 2015, Chennai suffered its worst flood in a century as the northeast monsoon delivered up to 340 mm in Kanchipuram and 470 mm near Vembakkam, forcing Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa’s government to deploy the NDRF and allocate emergency relief. The event triggered stricter drainage codes, slum-clearance drives and World Bank-supported flood-protection plans, which today’s record 363 mm rain in Parrys Corner and 310 mm in Kathivakkam are testing.

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Story summary

Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna inspected rain-water clearance in Chennai after record rainfall.
Parrys Corner recorded 363 mm of rain in 24 hours, the city’s heaviest since Cyclone Michaung 2023.
Kathivakkam logged 310.2 mm, half falling between 9:30 pm and 10:30 pm Saturday.
Heavy flooding stranded vehicles and slowed traffic on Anna Salai and G N Road.
Officials urged residents to call helpline 1913 while NDRF discussed rescue plans at the Ripon Building.

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