Videos viral on social media show streets heavily flooded and cars being swept away.
New Delhi:
Heavy rain continued to pound Chennai and nearby districts today as Cyclone Michaung, expected to make landfall tomorrow, threatened to unleash even more fury. Low-lying areas and many residential parts were inundated, with civic body personnel struggling to clear the stagnant water.
Videos viral on social media show streets heavily flooded and cars being swept away by the strong currents. Several parts of Chennai remain submerged in floodwater with the city experiencing severe traffic jams, including Chennai’s Chrompet GST Road. In north Chennai, the Vadakarai Road is also flooded, rendering it impassable from Madhavaram to Sengunram.
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Chennai city and its neighboring districts received heavy rainfall overnight, with Meenambakkam recording 196 mm and Nungambakkam receiving 154.3 mm in the 24 hours leading up to 5:30 am this morning.
Schools, colleges, and government offices in Chennai and three adjoining districts will remain closed today, and the state government has urged private companies to allow their employees to work from home.
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Authorities have set up nearly 5,000 relief centres in coastal districts to assist those affected by the heavy rain that lashed the city and its neighboring districts overnight. Chief Minister MK Stalin reviewed the safety measures last night and is closely monitoring the situation.
To aid in relief and rescue efforts, authorities have stationed eight NDRF and nine SDRF teams in the affected districts of Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thiruvallur, Cuddalore, and Chengalpattu.