Cyclone Fengal triggers record rain in Puducherry in 30 years | Puducherry News – Times of India

PUDUCHERRY: Cyclone Fengal-triggered rainfall in Puducherry broke a 30-year record on Saturday and Sunday. The town recorded 48.4 cm of rainfall in the 24 hours till 8.30am on Sunday.
The cyclone crossed northern Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts near Puducherry, with wind speeds of 70-80 km/h, gusting up to 90 km/h. The cyclonic storm is expected to gradually weaken into a deep depression, IMD said.
Indian Army rescued over 100 people in the affected regions of Puducherry, a PIB release said. Troops from Chennai Garrison Battalion, under Dakshin Bharat Area, were called in by Puducherry district collector A Kulothungan on Sunday to assist in rescue efforts in the flooded areas.
A humanitarian assistance and disaster relief column team rescued civilians from around 500 houses in Krishna Nagar, where water levels had reached up to five feet in some localities. Indian Coast Guard team also joined the relief and rescue operations. Fengal uprooted 27 trees and 125 electric poles. Power supply, which had been disrupted across the town and suburbs around 10 pm, was not restored until Sunday night. Officials said that electric lines were snapped at several locations and added that power would be restored in a day or two.
Puducherry district collector declared that all govt and private colleges and schools would serve as relief centres until further notice. He directed these institutions to keep their premises open. He also reported that four people had been killed in rain-related incidents in the territory, though he did not disclose their names.
Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, and Tiruvannamalai districts also received heavy rainfall on Saturday and Sunday. Mailam in Villupuram district recorded highest rainfall in the state, with 50 cm in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Sunday. The district received an average of 49.29 cm of rain in the same period.
The heavy downpour inundated several residential areas in these districts. Hundreds of people were rescued and moved to temporary shelters. Currently, 1,881 people are staying at 34 temporary shelters in the district.
The cyclone affected normal life in 688 villages in Villupuram district over the past four days. The district administration has expedited relief and rehabilitation efforts in 66 severely affected regions of the district.