Kedarnath disaster 2013
Also called: Uttarakhand floods 2013 · Topic: Natural Hazards and Disaster Management in India · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 3 "Climates of India"
Meaning
The Kedarnath disaster struck on 16-17 June 2013 in Uttarakhand. Extreme early-monsoon rain fell over the hills. A western disturbance (a rain-bearing wind from the west) made the rain even heavier. Chorabari lake, near the glacier above Kedarnath, burst its banks. Floods and debris rushed down the Mandakini valley. About 6,000 people died, many of them pilgrims. The disaster shows how heavy rain, fragile slopes and crowds of pilgrims in a hazard zone can combine into a catastrophe.
Example
Kedarnath town, at the head of the Mandakini valley in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, was badly damaged. Floodwater from Chorabari lake swept through the town.
Don't confuse with
- Chamoli flood (2021): set off in February by a rock-and-ice avalanche from Ronti peak, with floods down the Rishiganga. Kedarnath 2013 was driven by monsoon rain and a lake breach.