Disaster

Guntur famine strikes the Madras Presidency

Crop failures led to a famine that took roughly 150,000 lives in Guntur district and spread as far south as Madras.

Great Famine of 1876-1878

Brought on by drought, a severe famine hit the Madras Presidency and other regions of India, killing millions.

Famine of 1896-1897 reaches the Madras Presidency

A famine that began in Bundelkhand in 1896 spread across India, including parts of the Madras Presidency, where grain exports continued.

Influenza pandemic reaches Madras

The 1918 influenza pandemic reached Madras by the end of June 1918 and caused heavy mortality across the presidency.

1943 Madras floods

Six days of continuous northeast monsoon rain caused the Cooum and Adyar rivers to overflow, flooding slums across Madras.

Ariyalur train accident

A train fell into the Marudaiyaru river near Ariyalur after a bridge collapsed in heavy rain, killing over 150 passengers.

Rameswaram cyclone destroys Dhanushkodi

Pamban Island was hit by a super cyclonic storm whose surge drowned the town of Dhanushkodi and killed many people.

November 1977 cyclone strikes Nagapattinam and the Cauvery delta

A very severe cyclonic storm made landfall at Nagapattinam, killing about 560 people and affecting around 10 lakh people in Tamil Nadu.

Mahamaham stampede at Kumbakonam

A stampede at the Mahamaham tank in Kumbakonam during the 12-yearly festival killed 48 pilgrims.

Cyclone crosses the coast near Madras

A cyclonic storm made landfall near Madras on 31 October 1994, causing about 115 million US dollars in damage and some 304 deaths.

Erwadi mental home fire

Chained to their beds, 28 inmates died when fire swept through a faith-based mental asylum at Erwadi.

Kumbakonam school fire

A fire at a school in Kumbakonam killed 94 children after a thatched roof caught fire, leading to new school safety rules.

2004 Indian Ocean tsunami strikes the Tamil Nadu coast

The tsunami after the Sumatra earthquake killed about 8,000 people in Tamil Nadu, with Nagapattinam the worst-hit district.

2005 Chennai floods and relief camp stampedes

Heavy north-east monsoon rain flooded Chennai, and two stampedes at relief distribution camps killed more than 50 people.

Cyclone Nisha floods the Cauvery delta

Cyclonic Storm Nisha made landfall in Tamil Nadu, bringing record rain to Orathanadu and killing at least 189 people in the state.

Cyclone Thane strikes Cuddalore and Puducherry

Thane, a very severe cyclonic storm, crossed the coast between Cuddalore and Puducherry, wrecking homes, crops and trees.

Sivakasi fireworks factory explosion

Forty people died and over 70 were hurt when an explosion hit the Om Sakthi fireworks factory near Sivakasi.

Moulivakkam building collapse

An eleven-storey apartment block under construction collapsed at Moulivakkam in Chennai, killing 61 people, mostly construction workers.

2015 Chennai floods

Extremely heavy north-east monsoon rains flooded Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore, killing hundreds of people.

Cyclone Vardah hits Chennai

Cyclone Vardah made landfall near Chennai, uprooting thousands of trees and cutting power and communication across the city.

Ennore oil spill after tanker collision

Two tankers collided off Kamarajar Port in Ennore, and the resulting oil spill spread along the north Chennai coast.

Cyclone Ockhi strikes Kanyakumari

Cyclone Ockhi caused heavy damage in Kanyakumari district and many fishermen out at sea were lost.

Cyclone Gaja devastates the Cauvery delta

Cyclone Gaja crossed the coast near Vedaranyam, killing dozens and destroying coconut groves, homes and boats in the delta districts.

Cyclone Nivar makes landfall near Marakkanam

Cyclone Nivar crossed the north Tamil Nadu coast near Marakkanam, flooding parts of Chennai during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Helicopter crash near Coonoor kills General Bipin Rawat

An Indian Air Force Mi-17V-5 crashed in the Nilgiris, killing Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, his wife and 12 others.

Cyclone Michaung floods Chennai

Very heavy rain from Cyclone Michaung flooded large parts of Chennai and neighbouring districts.

Floods in Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli

Record rainfall flooded Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts as the Thamirabarani river overflowed.

Ennore ammonia gas leak

Ammonia leaked from a subsea pipeline of a fertiliser plant at Ennore, sending dozens of residents of fishing villages to hospital.

Kallakurichi illicit liquor deaths

Methanol-laced illicit liquor killed more than 60 people in Kallakurichi district.

Cyclone Fengal brings record rain to Viluppuram

Cyclone Fengal crossed the coast near Puducherry and caused extreme rainfall, flooding and a landslide in northern Tamil Nadu.

Karur crowd crush at TVK rally

A crowd crush at a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam campaign rally addressed by Vijay in Karur killed 41 people.