What is cloudburst? What triggered flash flood, killing 38 in Kishtwar? India’s five most devastating cloudbursts
The term “cloudburst” came from the notion that clouds were like water balloons and could burst, resulting in rapid precipitation. However, this idea has since been disproven. Sometimes a large amount of runoff from higher elevations is mistakenly taken as a cloudburst.
38 people were killed and 100 injured in Kishtwar Cloudburst.
A massive cloudburst triggered a flash flood in the Chashoti village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, killing at least 38 people and injuring 100 others.Confirming the incident, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Sharma said, “A flash flood has occurred at Chashoti area in Kishtwar, which is the starting point of the Machail Mata Yatra. Rescue Operations have been started.”Â
What is cloudburst?
A cloudburst is a horrific rainfall, causing an enormous amount of precipitation in a very short duration. It is generally accompanied by hail and thunder, which can create flood conditions. A cloudburst generally dumps large amounts of water in a short period and brings as much as 25 mm of precipitation, which may correspond to 25,000 metric tons per square kilometer.Â
Five biggest cloudbursts in India
September 28, 1908: A cloudburst in Hyderabad caused so much rainfall that the level of the Musi River increased up to 3.4 meters. About 15,000 people were killed, and more than 80,000 houses were destroyed in the cloudbursts.
July 20, 1970: The cloudburst occurring on the southern mountain front in the Alaknanda valley between Joshimath and Chamoli was so severe that it wiped out the leftover of the 1894 Gohna lake. It also washed away a roadside settlement between Pipalkoti and Helong and a convoy of 30 buses.
July 26, 2005: The cloudburst taking place near Mumbai caused a rainfall of 950 millimetres or 37 inches, over eight to ten hours. More than 1,000 people were killed.
August 6, 2010: A series of cloudbursts in Leh left 1,000 people dead and more than 400 injured.
June 15, 2013: The cloudburst taking place in the Kedarnath and Rambara region of Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, left more than 1,000 people dead. It is feared that the death toll might have reached 5,000.Â
