Valsad gets nearly 36 inches of rain; Surat evacuates 2,244 residents

South Gujarat remained in the grip of an intense monsoon spell as Umargam in Valsad district received nearly 36 inches of rainfall, triggering widespread flooding, rescue operations and major disruption to normal life. Heavy rain also lashed Surat and Ahmedabad, while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) continued to keep parts of Gujarat under a red alert.

Surat, Gujarat: Continuous rainfall for the past three days has disrupted normal life in Surat. The Bhedwad creek in the Udhna area overflowed, causing waterlogging in nearby residential societies. The administration has advised residents to move to safer places pic.twitter.com/u76NuTdnh1

— IANS (@ians_india) July 23, 2026

According to official data, Umargam recorded 35.67 inches of rainfall since Thursday morning. The town witnessed flood-like conditions after 17.44 inches of rain fell between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., inundating roads, residential areas and vehicles. Several residents were stranded as water entered low-lying localities, prompting rescue teams to deploy boats for evacuation.Relief Commissioner Gaurang Makwana says, "In the last 24 hours, heavy rainfall was recorded, particularly in Valsad district of South Gujarat. In Umargam taluka, around 43 inches of rainfall was recorded in the last 24 hours. We had already deployed NDRF and SDRF teams in advance. As the rainfall intensified during the night, additional teams were also deployed in the affected areas...''

Gandhinagar, Gujarat: Relief Commissioner Gaurang Makwana says, "In the last 24 hours, heavy rainfall was recorded, particularly in Valsad district of South Gujarat. In Umargam taluka, around 43 inches of rainfall was recorded in the last 24 hours. We had already deployed NDRF… pic.twitter.com/OsBjU0KX4D

— IANS (@ians_india) July 23, 2026

Other parts of Valsad district also received exceptionally heavy rainfall, with Kaprada recording 29 inches, Nanapodha 25.31 inches and Dharampur 20 inches, reflecting the severity of the monsoon across the region.Officials said rescue teams were working round the clock to shift stranded residents to safer locations while the administration closely monitored the evolving situation.
In Surat, around 4 inches of rainfall was recorded between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. Rising water levels due to heavy upstream inflows caused the Bhedawal and Seemada creeks to overflow, while several other creeks neared danger levels.As a precautionary measure, the district administration evacuated 2,244 residents living along creek banks and shifted them to safer shelters.
Ahmedabad also witnessed intense rainfall after 9 a.m., with areas such as Bopal, Jodhpur, Satellite, SG Highway and Ambavadi receiving nearly 2 inches of rain within an hour. Water entered houses in Bopal's Sterling City Society, while the D Cabin and Akhbarnagar underbridges were closed due to severe waterlogging.The IMD has forecast extremely heavy rainfall in parts of central Gujarat and issued a red alert for three districts( Panchmahal, Dahod, Mahisagar).Heavy rain is expected in the districts of Ahmedabad, Anand, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Gir Somnath, and Botad until July 26, while the rest of the state is expected to receive light to moderate rainfall.
IMD’s red alert is in place for Panchmahal, Dahod and Mahisagar for Thursday, and Dahod and Mahisagar for Friday.Meanwhile, Sabarkantha Gandhinagar, Aravalli, Kheda, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, and Tapi are on an orange alert Thursday. A similar alert has also been issued for Friday for Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Kheda, Panchmahal, and Chhota Udepur.The weather bureau has also issued an orange alert for Sabarkantha and Aravalli on Saturday, and for Banaskantha and Sabarkantha on Sunday.Authorities have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel, remain alert and follow official advisories as heavy rainfall is expected to continue over the next 24 hours.

(State Correspondent)