Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy reported on Sunday that the city received 50 centimeters of rainfall overnight due to Cyclone Fengal, leading to severe flooding. Rescue teams have been deployed to evacuate those stranded by the floodwaters. “Puducherry has experienced 50 cm of rainfall, causing significant flooding. I am currently overseeing the flood-affected areas, and our rescue teams are working around the clock to help those trapped,” Chief Minister Rangasamy told.
Cyclone Fengal brought intense rainfall to Puducherry, with the Union Territory recording 48.4 centimeters of rain in a 24-hour period until 8:30 AM on December 1. This marks the highest 24-hour rainfall in the region in the last 30 years (1995-2024).
In related news, Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train services resumed normal operations in Chennai and surrounding suburban districts on December 1, after being severely disrupted the previous day due to the heavy rainfall from Cyclone Fengal. A. Elumalai, Public Relations Officer from Chennai Division, confirmed that train services had returned to normal.
On Saturday, the train services in Chennai were affected by the cyclonic storm that made landfall in Puducherry and the northern coastal districts of Tamil Nadu. In response, Indian Army troops from the Chennai Garrison Battalion were mobilized to assist in rescue operations early Sunday morning. A Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) column, including one officer, six Junior Commissioned Officers, and 62 soldiers, was swiftly deployed after a request from the Puducherry District Collector at around 1:00 AM. The team left Chennai at 2:00 AM, covering 160 kilometers overnight to reach Puducherry by 5:30 AM.
Upon arrival, the rescue team, led by Major Ajay Sangwan, was briefed on the critical situation in Krishna Nagar, where the water level had risen to nearly five feet, leaving around 500 houses submerged. The Army’s rescue operations began at 6:15 AM, successfully evacuating over 100 individuals in the first two hours.
Cyclone Fengal, which made landfall on Saturday, has remained stationary for the past six hours near Puducherry, approximately 30 kilometers north of Cuddalore and 40 kilometers east of Villupuram. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone has not moved since 5:30 AM and remains 120 kilometers south-southwest of Chennai. It is expected to slowly move westward and weaken into a deep depression over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next six hours.
Following the cyclone’s landfall, high tides and rough sea conditions were reported along Chennai’s beaches on Sunday morning. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) forecasted “isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall” for Chennai. Residents in affected areas have been advised to stay indoors and follow safety instructions issued by local authorities. Relief camps have been set up near Kalpakkam in Chengalpattu district for those displaced by the cyclone.