[Raghav07]

Hello everyone, this is Raghav.

I know this is a car forum, but this also needs to be addressed

As we all know, Cyclone Michuang is severely impacting the southeast coast of India as I write this article. It is classified as a super cyclonic storm and has wreaked havoc in Chennai.

This is the first time in 7-8 years we have seen such big floods, and this happened despite the construction of multiple canals and stormwater drains, it just shows the power of Mother Nature.

Both of our basements were flooded, and we had to park our Venue multiple times to ensure the car could start smoothly without the exhaust getting flooded with water. Despite being a well-known apartment complex on Old Mahabalipuram Road, and rarely any power cuts, this is the longest we have gone without power since moving here in 2017.

I feel like we are all prepared for normal cyclones(if you can call it that), but everyone here was unprepared for these severe cyclonic storms. No one expected this much rain. And it also shows the drainage system in Chennai needs more work.

I have experienced a Category 5 Hurricane (Sandy in 2012), and it didn't affect our town as compared to other states and countries. If we could implement those storm plans here, maybe this could have been less severe.

I hope everyone in Chennai and Andhra Pradesh is safe. The cyclone will be gone in 3 days, but the damage will take a long time to repair.

In this thread, I would request other members to share their experiences with such violent storms, and how you and your family combated it. This would be informative for any future cyclones so people will be prepared for it.

Stay Safe and Regards,
Raghav

[Turbohead]

The fact that nobody from Chennai is here participating in this thread shows the extent of chaos right now.
I'm in Kerala right now for the week and none of my friends/relatives/colleagues are available online. Most of their last seen on WhatsApp is yesterday evening since their phones are dead without any option to recharge them. I've even heard of reports that cell phone towers are also down since the DG sets are out of fuel. Water has apparently entered places it never has when compared to 2015.
Hoping that the rains have permanently stopped and that things are brought to normal at the earliest.

[SuperGirl_Dad]

Originally Posted by Raghav07

I have experienced a Category 5 Hurricane (Sandy in 2012), and it didn't affect our town as compared to other states and countries. If we could implement those storm plans here, maybe this could have been less severe.

I hope everyone in Chennai and Andhra Pradesh is safe. The cyclone will be gone in 3 days, but the damage will take a long time to repair.

Wow, nice to see somebody who have experienced the elusive Sandy in 2012. I too have experienced it, but we did not have power for the entire night. The way shops were plundered before the storm, was a sight to behold. It was not as rosy as you had pointed. Some of our friends at Brooklyn did not have power for 3 days, due to the power plant blowup.

Coming to Chennai, nothing will change unless people start respecting nature - read not blocking water channels, canals and low lying areas. The flow of rain water should not be disrupted. Just look around Pallikaranai and Porur lakes. The amount of lake view apartments is scary.



Souce: WhatsApp forward.

Another thing is Chennai is expanding. Possibly in the next decade it will extend up to Changalpattu . The best way to decongest is to develop suburbs with livelihood (IT parks and manufacturing), so that city lakes/canals are left alone.

Possible two solutions for this:
1. People should start questioning about flood mitigation in each apartment before they buy their homes.
2. Insurance must be made compulsory for homes to get compensation. Government doling out cash after cyclone beats the whole purpose . People queue up to get the relief and go about the usual business.

[searacer932]

Very bad situation in Chennai. It's a repeat of 2015.

This is what happens if corruption and construction mafia and government get together and make money.

I see this situation repeating every time there is heavy rainfall and the city's infrastructure is totally useless to deal with this due to inefficiencies of successive governments.

My prayers for people affected by this.

[Capri89]

I experienced the 2015 floods. Fortunately, this time I am away in Bengaluru. I was to drive down there yesterday, but better sense prevailed and I am likely to travel tomorrow.

It seems 2015 floods were much worse than this time around considering the amount of rainfall received. Back in 2015 the electricity meters were damaged in many households. In 2016 (Wardha) it took a week in our area for the power supply to resume.

This time around, although power has been restored, certain areas are still in darkness. So I hear.

Infrastucture woes persist and the reasons are purely political, I feel. The elevated expressway of Ennore - Maduravoyal is a case in point as to how politics can put on hold the best of plans. As long as people trade votes for money this will happen.

Sad state of affairs indeed.

[volkman10]

Audi India extends service support to flood-hit cars in Chennai.

Complimentary RSA service will be available 24x7 across Chennai city and could be accessed through following numbers – 1800-103-6800

Link:

[Kashief]

Siruseri to Madhya Kailash OMR current situation.

Siruseri to just-before Sathyabama, both sides of the road open and smooth movement of traffic.

Just before Sathyabama, traffic gets diverted to one lane - the east side of OMR - as there is heavy water logging from that point, in front of Sathyabama, and beyond for a km.

After that, it is fine, Sholinganallur junction is fine. There's no water logging up till Standard Chartered Bank offices. Some water logging there, but definitely not as bad as Sathyabama. Water is there till just before the bridge, after which is the petrol bunk, Thalapakatti, etc.

After this, its mostly all good, in fact, it is dry in front of World Trade Center.

Its all fine and the next water logging is in front of NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology). Traffic is diverted again here to the East side of OMR.

From Tidel Park to Madhya Kailash, its fine.

While returning from Madhya Kailash to Siruseri, it is mostly ok to drive down OMR , without your car wheels being half submerged Except at Sathyabama, of course.

Opp GRT Jewellery, a bit of water logging, but manageable.

After this, the main, big water logging is again opposite Sathyabama, where you need to climb on to the service road. Vehicles are parked on the service road, and at the same time, traffic is moving up and down. So you need to be really alert. Some good Samaritans are helping manage the traffic and it is moving. That is good.

After this, it’s a very smooth drive all the way to Siruseri.

Note: Received from FOMRRA volunteers.

[Small Bot]

I was in Chennai in 2015, and in Chennai this year. Fortunate enough to experience both floods probably.

2015 was horrible not for the rainfall though, it was for the improper and haphazard government planning that happened that led to lake water being released and flooding occuring in the middle of the night with no warning. This year has been much better even with more rainfall (I think), mainly because the wheels of bureaucracy kept turning despite any political shenanigans.

The corporation folks, the police, the EB folks, the metrowater folks, several other cogs in the city machinery whom I forget - they have stepped up and put in some hard shifts, even if our politicians have used this only to wag their tongues.

On a different note, I think I randomly but successfully photobombed some TV news report on a flooded police station. I was even carrying cat food in my hands and grinning widely.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Small Bot

2015 was horrible not for the rainfall though, it was for the improper and haphazard government planning that happened that led to lake water being released and flooding occuring in the middle of the night with no warning. This year has been much better even with more rainfall (I think), mainly because the wheels of bureaucracy kept turning despite any political shenanigans.

My parents live in Adyar. Yesterday my dad said exactly the same thing. In 2015 we had a lot of water enter our ground floor. This year there was water ingress as well but not even 10% of how it was in 2015.

The storm water drains worked very well and there was no water in front of the house on the roads.

But my sister who lives right next to the Shollinganallur lake ended up getting marooned in her apartment. The parking separated from the lake by just a compound wall got inundated with a lot of water.
She however blames her building management for having ignored basic common sense and forgetting the lessons of 2015.

[PreludeSH]

Seeing boats again on Chennai streets reminds of 2015. I dont think you can eliminate floods without relocating when nature dumps a huge amount of water during cyclones. You can only reduce the impact. Maybe its time for people to buy inflatable boats as emergency equipment !

[Raghav07]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Audi India extends service support to flood-hit cars in Chennai.



Link:

Good to know. One unfortunate owner left his in the basement(Its filled to the brim).

[Raghav07]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

The fact that nobody from Chennai is here participating in this thread shows the extent of chaos right now.
I'm in Kerala right now for the week and none of my friends/relatives/colleagues are available online. Most of their last seen on WhatsApp is yesterday evening since their phones are dead without any option to recharge them. I've even heard of reports that cell phone towers are also down since the DG sets are out of fuel. Water has apparently entered places it never has when compared to 2015.
Hoping that the rains have permanently stopped and that things are brought to normal at the earliest.

I had a few hours of internet so I was able to create this thread. The water level has slowly reduced in my apartment. Cars can go south due to the Vandalur Kelambakkam road being free of water.

The basement (both levels) is still filled to the brim, will take at least a week or more to pump water out of it.

[Small Bot]

Originally Posted by bblost

She however blames her building management for having ignored basic common sense and forgetting the lessons of 2015.

Oh, it's not completely forgetfulness or lack of common sense. It's also greed and opportunism and utter lack of consequences. DTCP gave every builder and their grandmother licenses and approvals as long as some palms were greased.

[Sk8r]

Another year, another cyclone - this will come and go for the foreseeable future for sure because of all the reasons stated above which are absolutely true.

But there is another fact - People will queue up to buy these apartments in the coming months by looking at the model houses because it has "club house, swimming pool (oh the irony), gym etc.,"

If the corporation is to blame for taking money to give approval to construct over lakes, the people buying flats are equally to blame to go ahead with the purchase in spite of doing "PDI" and being aware of the lakes upon which they were built on.

If Velachery is so prone to flood every year, how is the property prices seeing new peaks every year? When a PDI for 10 lakh automobile takes couple of hours, imagine the amount of time one needs to "invest" before buying the property. A free visit to the site to see "Model house" will not make the cut!

[Mystic]

I still remember the 2015 floods. History repeats. We need to find the root cause such that there is minimal disruption in future. In fact, I had started a thread on the same couple of months back and hope somebody in a position responsible will get to read it in Chennai.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...eavy-rain.html (Why do Indian Roads flood up so easily during heavy rain?)