Kishtwar cloudburst brings back memories of Kedarnath's Himalayan tsunami that killed 5,000

The Kedarnath Temple (C, foreground) is pictured amid flood destruction in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district on June 18, 2013. (AFP file photo)

June 16, 2013 – A cloudburst in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath Valley changed the way India sees rains in the hills. The simple occurrence that results in extreme rainfall in a small area led to unspeakable horrors that claimed over 5,000 lives in one of India’s worst natural calamities to date. The valley, located at a height of 3,500 metres, is home to the Kedarnath temple, one of the holiest temples revered by Hindus for several millennia.

The latest incident of a cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar has brought back memories of the Kedarnath horrors. So far, 12 people are feared dead, with over 60 missing, as the administration presses for urgent rescue measures.

What studies after Kedarnath say about the climate crisis in the foothills of the Himalayas

Multiple studies indicate that northern India has seen a marked rise in heavy June rainfall events since the late 1980s. This increase appears linked to a tendency for amplified short waves in the upper troposphere, with their alignment influenced by higher concentrations of greenhouse gases and aerosols. A separate regional modelling assessment found that 60–90% of the rainfall during the June 2013 disaster could be attributed to climate trends that have emerged since the 1980s.

What happened in Kedaranth: Numbers show extent of the crisis

2013 Monsoon Deluge: Rainfall was 440% above normal across India.

Worst-Hit Districts: Pithoragarh, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar, and Uttarkashi bore the brunt.

Chorabari Glacier Rainfall: IMD stations recorded 325 mm of rain.

Economic Loss: The estimated cost of damage from the Kedarnath disaster was $3.8 billion, as per the World bank estimates.

Infrastructure Impact: 58 hydroelectric projects were destroyed in the flash floods.