DEEPANSHU SHARMA
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A cloudburst is an extreme rainfall event where over 100 mm of rain falls in an hour, often in mountainous regions, causing flash floods and landslides
Cloudbursts unleash massive volumes of water in a short time. In hilly areas, they trigger flash floods, destroy villages, and leave little time to escape
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, and Jammu & Kashmir are frequently hit by cloudbursts, especially during the monsoon months between June and September
Over the years, Uttarkashi has experienced many cloudbursts. Here are few of them that occured between the years 2020 and 2025
Mori Village – August 18, 2020 A cloudburst struck Mori village in Uttarkashi, killing around 12 people. Bridges collapsed and homes were swept away in seconds
Near Lakhwar Dam – August 19, 2020 Next day, a flash flood hit near Lakhwar Dam, collapsing a bridge and submerging farmland. Infrastructure failure followed intense rainfall
Mando Village – July 18, 2021 A cloudburst devastated Mando; three died, four went missing. Entire settlements, bridges and fields washed away in one fateful monsoon night
Kumrada & Baldogi – May 3, 2021 Multiple cloudbursts hit Kumrada, Baldogi and Kamiad areas, washing away farmland and killing at least three people. Rescue efforts followed swiftly
Jandanu (Near Paligad) – June 29, 2025 A sudden cloudburst triggered a landslide on Yamunotri highway. Two labourers died; seven remain missing. Chaos struck the pilgrims’ route
Dharali Village (Gangotri Route) – August 5, 2025 A devastating cloudburst in Dharali caused flash floods that swept away hotels, shops, homes. At least four confirmed dead; many missing