Archive · 5 Aug 2026
Kerala floods becoming more severe after deadly August rain
Big rains came to a place called Kerala in early August.
The rain was so heavy that rivers overflowed and water flooded streets and towns.
Sadly, 26 people lost their lives because of the floods.
More than 27,000 people had to leave their homes and stay in about 460 special shelters called relief camps.
The Chief Minister of Kerala, V D Satheesan, shared these numbers with the public.
Studies by the state's irrigation department looked into why the floods were so bad.
Many of the reasons were made by people, not nature.
Rivers are filling up with sand and mud, so they cannot hold as much water.
That means heavy rain turns into big floods more easily.
An unexpected spell of extremely heavy rainfall in early August triggered flash flooding across several parts of Kerala.
Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts were among the worst-affected areas.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan said 26 people were killed in monsoon-related incidents.
More than 27,000 people were sheltering in about 460 relief camps as of Wednesday, August 5.
Irrigation department studies found that silt and sand accumulation over the last decade has reduced rivers' water-holding capacity, worsening floods.
- Who
- People in Kerala, particularly in Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts, and Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who reported the figures.
- What
- Extremely heavy rainfall caused flash floods that killed 26 people and drove more than 27,000 people into relief camps.
- When
- Early August, with figures reported as of Wednesday, August 5.
- Where
- Several parts of Kerala, with Kottayam and Pathanamthitta among the worst-affected districts.
- Why
- Mostly human-made factors, including rivers' declining water-holding capacity due to silt and sand accumulation over the past decade.
- Deaths
- 26 people killed in monsoon-related incidents
- People in relief camps
- More than 27,000
- Relief camps
- About 460
- Worst-affected districts
- Kottayam and Pathanamthitta
- Trigger
- Unexpected spell of extremely heavy rainfall in early August
- Key worsening factor
- Sedimentation reducing rivers' water-holding capacity
- Figures reported by
- Chief Minister V D Satheesan
- Report date
- Wednesday, August 5