A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
‘Heavy to very heavy’ rains fuelled by an active area of low pressure and multiple weather systems brought flooding in parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in India, resulting in significant humanitarian needs. More than 200 deaths have been reported and thousands of people displaced in low-lying areas across affected districts in the three states.
The situation started when a depression that formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal intensified to Cyclone Rovan and, as it crossed the northern part of the Tamil Nadu coast on 8 November 2015, it brought relentless rains.
Between 9 and 16 November, some areas of Tamil Nadu experienced rainfall that exceeded the average expected in the entire month of November, resulting in widespread flooding. As floodwater started to recede in the days that followed and conditions were improving in many affected areas, another spell of heavy rains lashed on 23 November resulting in a new wave of flooding in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and surrounding areas.
The flooding further intensified due to the release of water from small and medium sized reservoirs, causing heavy influxes of flood water which inundated many areas in the affected districts.
Thousands of people across the flood-affected areas were moved to temporary shelters including schools, community centres and other public utility places. Roads (including national highways) were inundated and cut off at many places, causing traffic congestion and affecting transportation of goods and services.