Updated September 2026: in 2018 I recalled the second day of the 2015 Chennai floods, when I woke with no mobile signal, saw knee-deep water outside and people leaving, and only began to worry when the heavy rain returned. I have rewritten it into advice on deciding when to leave home in a flood.
After a disturbed night I woke to find no mobile signal. I assumed my phone was at fault and kept trying, draining the battery. I went for a short walk. The rain had paused, the water outside the apartment was a little over knee-deep, and some people were leaving for their home towns. I wondered why they were panicking and expected things to be normal by evening. My maid came, cooked rice, cleaned up and went home. A few hours later the rain returned at full strength, and only then did I start to worry about getting out.
Why do people underestimate floods?
A pause in the rain feels like the end. In fact, water can keep rising for hours or days as reservoirs release water and drains back up. In 2015, water levels in parts of Chennai rose sharply after reservoir releases, well after the heaviest rain.
When should you leave?
- When authorities advise it: follow official instructions first.
- When water is rising and the route is still safe: leaving early is far safer than leaving late.
- When you live on a low floor: or have no way to store food and water above flood level.
When is it safer to stay?
When the route out is already flooded, fast-flowing or dark. Moving water just a little over knee height can knock people over and can carry vehicles. Staying on an upper floor with supplies is often the safer choice.
What should you do about a phone with no signal?
Stop searching for signal; it drains the battery. Switch to airplane mode and check once an hour from a window or higher floor.
What would I do differently?
Take the people leaving as a signal, not as panic, and decide early.