‘We left with only the clothes we wore’: Kerala flood survivors recount escape

Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links. “We left our house with only the clothes we were wearing. We couldn’t take anything,” says Reji, a 50-year-old daily wage worker in Ranni grama panchayat in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, one of the areas worst affected by the torrential rain that has battered the state over the past three days.Reji and his family are among more than 11,000 people displaced across Kerala after exceptionally heavy rainfall triggered widespread flooding, landslips, and minor landslides, leaving 15 people dead and seven missing. The state government has opened 316 relief camps across multiple districts to shelter those forced to flee their homes.“By around 4.30 am, the water was up to our waist. We couldn’t take our certificates or any other belongings. We just left wearing whatever we had on,” says Reji, recalling the early hours of August 1, when floodwaters from the swollen Pamba river inundated his home and the surrounding area. “Only after we reached the relief camp were we given a change of clothes, and that’s what we’re wearing even now.”Reji, his wife Mini, and their son are among 26 people from 10 families staying at a government school in Ranni that was converted into a relief camp on August 1. “We lost everything. Here, we are getting food and other essential supplies,” he says.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Kerala received an average of 184.2 mm of rainfall between August 1 and 3, against the normal 55.4 mm — an excess of 232%. Almost every district recorded rainfall more than 60% above normal.Pathanamthitta worst affectedPathanamthitta has emerged as the worst-affected district, with floodwaters entering hundreds of houses in Ranni, Aranmula, and nearby areas. While many families have shifted to relief camps, others continue to stay on the upper floors of their flooded homes, relying on local bodies and volunteers for food, drinking water, and other essentials.For Reji's family, the latest floods have reopened old wounds. They were still recovering from the devastating 2018 floods, which destroyed nearly everything they had in their house. After slowly rebuilding their lives, they were hit again by floods in 2019. Now, they have lost their belongings once more.”During the 2018 floods, everything in our house was destroyed. We spent almost 14 days in a relief camp. Then our house flooded again in 2019, and now this has happened,” says Mini. According to Ranni gram panchayat president Sasikala Rajasekharan, more than 300 houses in the panchayat had been affected by flooding, while one house had collapsed. “All essential supplies, including food, are being provided to those staying in the relief camp,” she says.She adds that many residents had begun cleaning the ground floors of their homes on Monday morning, but fresh warnings of heavy rain forced authorities to advise them to remain cautious.“We are now ensuring food and drinking water reach families who are still staying on the upper floors of their houses. Drinking water is the biggest issue because wells have been contaminated by floodwater,” she says.According to the state government’s natural calamity report, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta have the highest number of relief camps, with 23 and 22 camps respectively.Rainfall far above normalIMD data showed that Pathanamthitta recorded the highest rainfall anomaly in the state, receiving 533% more rain than normal between August 1 and 3. Other districts also recorded exceptionally high rainfall, including Thiruvananthapuram at 457%, Kozhikode at 326%, Malappuram at 310%, Kollam at 302%, and Kottayam at 300%, Palakkad at 268%, Ernakulam at 223%, Thrissur at 213%, Alappuzha and Kannur at 207%, Idukki at 168%, and Wayanad at 96%. Kasaragod was the only district classified as having ‘excess’ rather than ‘large excess’ rainfall, at 52% above normal.Addressing a press conference on Monday, August 3, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan stated that, according to the reports he received, the situation was under control in all districts. However, floodwaters had not yet receded in some areas of Pathanamthitta district. He also said 14 boats operated by fishermen from Kollam had been brought to Chengannur, and if necessary, would be deployed for rescue operations in Pathanamthitta.Government assistance announced The Kerala government has announced financial assistance for families affected by the floods and landslides. Families of those who died will receive Rs 8 lakh in compensation, along with Rs 10,000 as immediate aid for funeral expenses. Families returning from relief camps will receive Rs 10,000 to help clean flood-damaged homes. The government also announced Rs 12 lakh for families who lost both their house and land in landslides, and Rs 6 lakh for rebuilding houses that were completely destroyed.