Cyclone Nivar, November 2020 and elevated areas to park their vehicles to avoid partial or complete

submergence. As officials from the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry government

are tirelessly working to fasten debris removal, maintain Covid-19 related
The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Nivar (VSCS Nivar) formed as a depression norms in the relief shelters and other relief activities, many areas are
between November 21 – 22, 2020 and made landfall near Puducherry on experiencing power failure and lack of access to broadband internet.
India's southern coast around midnight of November 26. With wind speeds
up to 120-130 KMPH and pounding rainfall, VSCS Nivar majorly affected
ANALYSIS AND MAPS
everyday life in the following districts: Maximum sustained wind speeds due to the VSCS Nivar (wind speeds as per
IMD) is represented in the following map.
 Puducherry
 Villupuram
 Cuddalore
 Kancheepuram
 Chennai
 Tiruvallur
At least three people have been victims of the VSCS Nivar mainly due to
electrocution or tree-fall. Over 2.3 lakh people have been accommodated in
about 3000 relief camps across northern Tamil Nadu. Heavy rainfall mainly in
Kancheepuram and Chennai districts led to the filling up of various reservoirs,
tanks, and ponds.
Low-lying areas were inundated, sometimes exacerbated by improper solid
waste management and clogged drains. Heavy rainfall led to the release of
water from the Chembarambakkam Lake, which required the pre-emptive
evacuation of people from the areas adjoining the Adyar River within Chennai
city. The events were a grim reminder of the 2015 flooding incident.
Learning from the previous experience, many residents in and around the
low-lying areas, especially near Velachery and Madipakkam, used flyovers Figure 1: Maximum sustained surface winds due to VSCS Nivar

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RMSI also mapped the majorly impacted areas in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
using RMSI’s proprietary India Flood Model using the observed rainfall on
November 26. Figure 2 and Figure 3 exhibit the flood extents for Chennai and
Puducherry.

Figure 3: Waterlogged areas in Puducherry district (26th Nov)

Figure 2: Waterlogged areas in in Chennai district (26th Nov)

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 From the wind hazard and flood maps, it can be observed that the urban
areas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have been impacted, primarily by
waterlogging due to the rainfall-induced by the VSCS Nivar.
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are just starting with the north-east monsoon
season, and VSCS Nivar has already filled the reservoirs supplying water to
Chennai. The residents of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, still
remember that in June 2019, ‘Day Zero’ was declared by the administration
as all the four major reservoirs supplying water to the city had run dry.
The monsoon's vagaries and the adverse impact of predicted variability in
climate will need increased focus on urban water resource management for
protection from floods as well as droughts and for safeguarding the ecology
of our cities.

DISCLAIMER: This report contains information generated through the analyses, and model predictions based on data provided by IMD and compiled using proprietary computer risk assessment technology
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