The Mumbai spirit: Remembering the 2005 floods 15 years later

How many of us recall what we were doing on 26th July, 15 years ago? Mumbaikers remember it like it was yesterday. In 2005, Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra faced one of the worst floods in history that brought the city and the lives of all those in it to complete standstill. 

Today, 15 years after the horrifying experience, many used social media to share memories of the day and their experiences. 

Netizens recall the Mumbai floods in 2005

The floods in Mumbai and Maharashtra in 2005 following which 26th July became a term that struck horror for those who'd lived through saw floods that caused large-scale destruction to man and property in the metropolitan city. The long and panic-filled 24 hours and longer in the city where people were stranded was a high-stress situation nobody had anticipated.

The floods, unfortunately, took the lives of 1,094 people approximately. Floods are a common monsoon phenomenon in Mumbai however, the damage that the floods in 2005 caused will perhaps never be forgotten. 

15 years later in 2020, netizens recalled that fateful day on Twitter and some of the experiences go beyond what we can imagine. Some were stranded in schools, some remember wading through waist-deep water, the power cuts and misery. More than the news articles and photos, it's all these experiences that make the difference between memory and lived experiences.

15 years today since it took me 18 hours to get home in Mumbai. What a night, what an experience. What was I thinking to walk through chest high rainwaters for hours. When I can't even swim! Never before, never again."- @ashoklalla

Thinking about the Mumbai floods 15 years ago still sends a shiver down my spine, remembering how I walked from Bandra to Juhu avoiding being washed away and just escaping a manhole"- @kavzkavz

Was 14 and got back home after giving my maths unit test. My sister was in FYJC and stuck in Bandra. She missed the last local at Dadar. What started was a 36 hour search. Me and my mom, hand in hand in chin deep water left our homes, walked about 50+ kms & found her successfully"- @ShareefTashreef

We were returning home by train from my grand father's funeral. Our train stopped before Titwala. Little did we know that we would be stuck there with limited food and water for 72 hrs before getting rescued. Reached home on 30th."- @Aryans2711

I along with my friends had gone to Worli seaface bunking college in afternoon. By the time we decided to go home it was already late. Were stuck inside BEST bus whole night at Bandra. Next day went walking to Vile Parle in knee deep water at friend's relative."- @Rinkesh_Shah_

I had left my college around 1 and reached home around 1.30 it was sunny and then i was watching tv then suddenly people from ground floor had come upstairs and water had submerged entire ground floor"- @hellopranay

Walked chest deep in water from Currey road till Sion. Spent the night in an auto outside Priyadarshini building, surrounded by sea. Walked till Ghatkopar next morning. Hitched a cab till Thane and finally an auto back till my uncle place in Kanjurmarg. Unforgettable day and nite"- @Just_Sandman

So this is a story of my aunt when she was stuck in the Mumbai floods on 26th July 2005. Now my aunt at this point was 7.5 months pregnant and was about to take her maternity leave soon. She went to work as usual, but as the rains were heavy at around 4 she decided to leave for home. This despite her husband saying it would be better if she stayed at the office. Since it was already flooded near their home in Mahim, which is 10 stations away from my aunt worked in Churchgate. Aunt anyway boards train and leaves, but since it's too flooded. The trains stop at Dadar, which is 2 stations from my aunt's final destination. It's around 730 PM, she decides she will walk home from here since it's just 2 stations walk. But she did not anticipate the level of flooding which at some places covered her stomach. And to add to all this, there is hardly any light since electricity has been cut off. Now my aunt walks, she is going slowly. She is too scared off the possibly open man holes and she is going at her pace. After a while she sees that 4-5 men are walking around her and she doesn't know why. Then she stops and she breaks down in front of them. One of the men asked her what happened and she couldn't stop crying, imagining the worse.

They told her that they are also walking back home. These men told her that we will walk around you, so that you don't have to worry. They held her bag and tiffin box. They slowly walked with her and dropped her at the entrance of the building where he mother in law was in tears since she had no news about my aunt. My aunt reached home a little after midnight of 27th July. My aunt has never seen those men again, but everyday she is so thankful for having them around her when she needed some people the most."- @vanillawallah

These stories and many more are what make the Mumbai floods unforgettable. But, Mumbai has come back stronger and that's the crux of the story. A city that never sleeps, one what dreams are made of. It will always be remembered as such.