the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
The Kerala flood of 2018: combined impact of extreme rainfall and reservoir storage
Abstract. Extreme precipitation events and flooding that cause losses to human lives and infrastructure have increased under the warming climate. In August 2018, the state of Kerala (India) witnessed large-scale flooding, which affected millions of people and caused 400 or more deaths. Here, we examine the return period of extreme rainfall and the potential role of reservoirs in the recent flooding in Kerala. We show that Kerala experienced 53 % above normal rainfall during the monsoon season (till August 21st) of 2018. Moreover, 1, 2, and 3-day extreme rainfall in Kerala during August 2018 had return periods of 75, 200, and 100 years. Six out of seven major reservoirs were at more than 90 % of their full capacity on August 8, 2018, before extreme rainfall in Kerala. Extreme rainfall at 1–15 days durations in August 2018 in the catchments upstream of the three major reservoirs (Idukki, Kakki, and Periyar) had the return period of more than 500 years. Extreme rainfall and almost full reservoirs resulted in a significant release of water in a short-span of time. Therefore, above normal seasonal rainfall (before August 8, 2018), high reservoir storage, and unprecedented extreme rainfall in the catchments where reservoirs are located worsened the flooding in Kerala. Reservoir operations need be improved using a skillful forecast of extreme rainfall at the longer lead time (4–7 days).
- Preprint
(1270 KB) - Metadata XML
-
Supplement
(18683 KB) - BibTeX
- EndNote
-
RC1: 'Referee Comments', Sudheer Padikkal, 27 Sep 2018
- AC1: 'Response to reviewer #1 comments', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
-
SC1: 'Review', Jeroen van der Valk, 26 Oct 2018
- AC2: 'Response to Short Comment #1', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
-
RC2: 'Comments on Mishra and others', Amit Kumar, 27 Oct 2018
- AC3: 'Response to reviewer #2 comments', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
-
SC2: 'Short comment on "The Kerala flood of 2018: combined impact of extreme rainfall and reservoir storage"', EVT Kumar, 28 Oct 2018
- AC4: 'Response to Short Comment #2', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
-
SC3: 'Short comment on the technical note "The Kerala flood of 2018"', Sudeep Jain, 29 Oct 2018
- AC5: 'Response to short comment #3', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
-
RC1: 'Referee Comments', Sudheer Padikkal, 27 Sep 2018
- AC1: 'Response to reviewer #1 comments', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
-
SC1: 'Review', Jeroen van der Valk, 26 Oct 2018
- AC2: 'Response to Short Comment #1', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
-
RC2: 'Comments on Mishra and others', Amit Kumar, 27 Oct 2018
- AC3: 'Response to reviewer #2 comments', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
-
SC2: 'Short comment on "The Kerala flood of 2018: combined impact of extreme rainfall and reservoir storage"', EVT Kumar, 28 Oct 2018
- AC4: 'Response to Short Comment #2', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
-
SC3: 'Short comment on the technical note "The Kerala flood of 2018"', Sudeep Jain, 29 Oct 2018
- AC5: 'Response to short comment #3', Vimal Mishra, 04 Dec 2018
Viewed
HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10,360 | 3,665 | 103 | 14,128 | 412 | 108 | 108 |
- HTML: 10,360
- PDF: 3,665
- XML: 103
- Total: 14,128
- Supplement: 412
- BibTeX: 108
- EndNote: 108
Viewed (geographical distribution)
Country | # | Views | % |
---|
Total: | 0 |
HTML: | 0 |
PDF: | 0 |
XML: | 0 |
- 1
Cited
46 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Assessment of extreme rainfall events over Kerala using EVA and NCUM-G model forecasts V. Abhijith et al. 10.1007/s12040-023-02171-5
- Flood impact assessment using field investigations and post-flood survey A. Mathew et al. 10.1007/s12040-021-01657-4
- Landslide susceptibility investigation for Idukki district of Kerala using regression analysis and machine learning S. Jones et al. 10.1007/s12517-021-07156-6
- Persistent Scatterer Interferometry in the post-event monitoring of the Idukki Landslides J. Jennifer et al. 10.1080/10106049.2020.1778101
- Endemism-based butterfly conservation: insights from a study in Southern Western Ghats, India M. Anto et al. 10.1186/s41936-021-00221-2
- Spatiotemporal dependence of soil moisture and precipitation over India A. Manoj J et al. 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.127898
- Microplastic pollution of Calicut beach - Contributing factors and possible impacts A. Kumar & G. Varghese 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112492
- Identifying Flood Prediction using Machine Learning Techniques M. Helen Joyice et al. 10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAR112
- Real-time flood forecasting using an integrated hydrologic and hydraulic model for the Vamsadhara and Nagavali basins, Eastern India G. Venkata Rao et al. 10.1007/s11069-023-06366-3
- Probabilistic Mapping of August 2018 Flood of Kerala, India, Using Space-Borne Synthetic Aperture Radar S. Sherpa et al. 10.1109/JSTARS.2020.2970337
- Increase in Population Exposure Due to Dry and Wet Extremes in India Under a Warming Climate R. Kumar & V. Mishra 10.1029/2020EF001731
- Hydroclimatological Perspective of the Kerala Flood of 2018 V. Mishra & H. Shah 10.1007/s12594-018-1079-3
- A novel heuristic algorithm for disruption mitigation in a global food supply chain M. Bakhshi Sasi et al. 10.1016/j.cie.2024.110334
- Classification of Sub-Watersheds with Respect to Flooding Susceptibility in a Tropical River Basin Using Multi Criteria Approach Based on VIKOR A. Nair et al. 10.1007/s11269-024-03900-1
- Vulnerability and resilience of the tourism sector in India: Effects of natural disasters and internal conflict M. Barbhuiya & D. Chatterjee 10.1016/j.tmp.2019.100616
- Increased flood risk in Indian sub-continent under the warming climate H. Ali et al. 10.1016/j.wace.2019.100212
- A diagnostic study of extreme precipitation over Kerala during August 2018 Y. Viswanadhapalli et al. 10.1002/asl.941
- Assessment of land surface temperature dynamics over the Bharathapuzha River Basin, India J. John et al. 10.1007/s11600-021-00593-7
- Impacts of Flood on Water Quality of Periyar River and Remediation Using Natural Fibers P. Ayyappan Vasantha et al. 10.1080/15440478.2022.2057382
- Modeling the concurrent impact of extreme rainfall and reservoir storage on Kerala floods 2018: a Copula approach A. Anandalekshmi et al. 10.1007/s40808-019-00635-6
- Association of Flood Risk Patterns with Waterborne Bacterial Diseases in Malaysia N. Shafii et al. 10.3390/w15112121
- Combined signatures of atmospheric drivers, soil moisture, and moisture source on floods in Narmada River basin, India J. Nanditha et al. 10.1007/s00382-022-06244-x
- Evaluating the long-term trends of the climatic variables over three humid tropical basins in Kerala, India A. Abraham & S. Kundapura 10.1007/s12517-022-10056-y
- Development of flood susceptibility map using a GIS-based AHP approach: a novel case study on Idukki district, India Z. Khan & B. Jhamnani 10.1080/14498596.2023.2236051
- SAR based flood risk analysis: A case study Kerala flood 2018 N. Pramanick et al. 10.1016/j.asr.2021.07.003
- Epizootics of epizootic ulcerative syndrome among estuarine fishes of Kerala, India, under post-flood conditions T. Sumithra et al. 10.3354/dao03465
- Assessment of Nonstationarity and Uncertainty in Precipitation Extremes of a River Basin Under Climate Change S. Ansa Thasneem et al. 10.1007/s10666-021-09752-y
- C-band polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar observations during an extreme precipitation event and associated dynamics over Peninsular India K. Subrahmanyam & K. Kumar 10.1007/s11069-022-05426-4
- Simulation of an extreme rainfall event over Mumbai using a regional climate model: a case study M. Pant et al. 10.1007/s00703-021-00845-7
- Country‐wide flood exposure analysis using Sentinel‐1 synthetic aperture radar data: Case study of 2019 Iran flood S. Sherpa & M. Shirzaei 10.1111/jfr3.12770
- Coordination and control – limits in standard representations of multi-reservoir operations in hydrological modeling C. Rougé et al. 10.5194/hess-25-1365-2021
- Sensitivity analysis applied to two extreme rainfall events over Kerala using TIGGE ensembles B. George & G. Kutty 10.1007/s00703-022-00863-z
- Evaluating the 2018 extreme flood hazard events in Kerala, India P. Lal et al. 10.1080/2150704X.2020.1730468
- Interaction of a Low-Pressure System, an Offshore Trough, and Mid-Tropospheric Dry Air Intrusion: The Kerala Flood of August 2018 V. Kumar et al. 10.3390/atmos11070740
- Impacts of a massive flood event on the physico-chemistry and water quality of river Pampa in Western Ghats of India A. Saha et al. 10.1080/03067319.2020.1843026
- Deciphering the extreme rainfall scenario over Indian landmass using satellite observations, reanalysis and model forecast: Case studies U. Saha et al. 10.1016/j.atmosres.2020.104943
- Temporal soil loss scenarios and erosional dynamics of a slopping landmass in the southwestern India before and after the 2018 severe rainfall and mega flood events N. Valappil et al. 10.1007/s11069-024-06790-z
- Role of Extreme Precipitation and Initial Hydrologic Conditions on Floods in Godavari River Basin, India S. Garg & V. Mishra 10.1029/2019WR025863
- Flood 2018 and the status of reservoir-induced seismicity in Kerala, India S. Ramasamy et al. 10.1007/s11069-019-03741-x
- Bias-Corrected Extended-Range Forecast Over India for Hydrological Applications During Monsoon 2020 P. Kumar et al. 10.1007/s00024-022-02998-x
- The anomalous weather parameters that lead to the extreme rainfall of Kerala in August 2018 S. Suneela et al. 10.1007/s00703-023-00974-1
- Impact of Time Step Size on Different Cumulus Parameterization Schemes in the Numerical Simulation of a Heavy Rainfall Event Over Tamil Nadu, India K. Singh et al. 10.1007/s00024-021-02896-8
- Constructing a complete landslide inventory dataset for the 2018 monsoon disaster in Kerala, India, for land use change analysis L. Hao et al. 10.5194/essd-12-2899-2020
- Assessment of the impact of flood on groundwater hydrochemistry and its suitability for drinking and irrigation in the River Periyar Lower Basin, India A. Krishnakumar et al. 10.1007/s11356-021-17596-y
- Flooding study in the desert climate zone: case study of M’zab valley (Algeria) O. Gueciouer Teffah et al. 10.1080/23249676.2022.2030253
- Eliciting social themes of flood mitigation and community engagement studies through text mining T. Egbelakin et al. 10.1108/IJBPA-02-2023-0022