Bandhan Bank employee from Valsad records video showing floodwater rising to his neck in Gujarat; district saw over 1,100 mm rain in 16 hours

A video shared by a Bandhan Bank employee from Valsad, showing floodwater rising to his neck just outside his own home, has become one of the most striking images from Gujarat's ongoing rain crisis, putting into perspective what the numbers from south Gujarat's worst-hit district actually look like on the ground.

Valsad's Umbergaon taluka recorded more than 1,100mm of rainfall in just 16 hours, according to State Emergency Operation Centre data cited by PTI. Several other talukas in the district received more than 600mm during the same period. The employee's video, which has been widely shared online, needs no explanation.

Bandhan Bank Employee's deep-neck floodwater video from Valsad:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shivam Singh (@bankeronbike)

Valsad Floods: What 1,100mm in 16 hours looks like

To put that number in context, Mumbai's catastrophic flood of 26 July 2005, which brought the city to a standstill and killed over 1,000 people, was triggered by 944mm of rain falling in 24 hours. Valsad crossed that in less time.

The result on the ground has been exactly what those numbers would suggest. Roads have gone under, villages have been cut off, and in several parts of Valsad district, stepping outside has become dangerous.

The bank employee's video, brief as it is, captures something that official statements and rainfall figures cannot fully convey: the water is not just on the streets. It is at the doorstep, and above it.

Gujarat rain: Rescues, red alerts, and roads shut down

Around 1,200 people have been rescued from rain-hit areas across Gujarat, with one rain-related death reported in Tapi district, PTI reported. In Valsad, a biker was pulled out after being swept away by floodwaters as levels continued to rise, PTI added.

A red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall remains in place across Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Dangs and Tapi for Thursday and Friday, according to the India Meteorological Department.

National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed across affected districts. The Indian Air Force and Coast Guard have been kept on standby for air rescue operations pending improvement in weather conditions, PTI reported.

More than 300 roads have been closed due to waterlogging and flooding. Over 200 state-run bus services have been disrupted, and power outages have been reported across several areas, officials said.

In Navsari, 200 people stranded across 11 villages due to rising water levels in the Kaveri river were rescued and moved to safer locations, according to PTI. In Surat, fire department personnel used boats to evacuate residents from waterlogged neighbourhoods, with around 40 people from Pandesara shifted out. Another 1,500 Surat residents have been moved to safer locations as a precaution, PTI reported.

Rail connectivity to Mumbai has also been disrupted, with several trains cancelled or short-terminated due to rising water levels along railway routes in south Gujarat. Western Railway opened a dedicated help desk for affected passengers.

Gujarat Monsoon 2026: Government response

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reviewed the situation at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Gandhinagar and spoke directly with officials from the affected districts, directing them to evacuate people from low-lying areas and assuring that additional NDRF teams would be deployed if needed.

Patel also called Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking central assistance. Shah assured the Gujarat government of full support, according to an official release cited by PTI.

Schools and colleges in Vadodara and Dahod will remain closed on Friday in view of the continuing heavy rainfall forecast.

Gujarat Red Alert: The bigger picture

South Gujarat has already received more than 62 per cent of its average seasonal rainfall, even as several other parts of the state remain rain deficient. Overall, Gujarat has received around 36 per cent of its annual average rainfall for the season so far, according to SEOC data cited by PTI, pointing to a sharply uneven monsoon concentrating its force on the state's southern districts.

With red alerts still in place and rescue operations continuing, authorities have urged residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to remain cautious.

(Disclaimer: This article is partially based on a viral social media post. The Economic Times cannot independently verify the authenticity of the content and does not claim or endorse it.)