Hydro-meteorological and Infrastructural Damage Analysis of the Recent Ramban Cloudburst Event in the North-Western Himalayan Region of Jammu and Kashmir, India

The North-Western Himalayan region, particularly Jammu and Kashmir, is becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme hydrometeorological events such as cloudbursts and flash floods that cause widespread socio-economic and environmental disruption. This study investigates the severe cloudburst and its aftermath in the Ramban district on April 20, 2025, a strategically vital area along the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44). Extreme precipitation (40 mm/3-hr; 60-140 mm/day) triggered flash floods, landslides, and infrastructure damage, underscoring the fragility of this mountainous corridor. To examine atmospheric triggers, high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulations were combined with ground-based records and satellite observations, capturing convective dynamics associated with moisture convergence, pressure anomalies, and land–atmosphere interactions. Multi-temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) was employed to detect slope instabilities and ground deformation, while InSAR coherence was used within a Bayesian framework to probabilistically map building-level damage, revealing widespread structural disruption across valley-floor settlements. Complementing these analyses, Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite altimetry quantified floodwater depth and volumetric storage changes, which were analyzed, providing rare hydrodynamic insights in the ungauged basin. By integrating atmospheric modeling, geodetic monitoring, and hydrological observations, the study demonstrates how localized convection cascades into slope failures, ground deformation, and infrastructure damage, exemplifying compound hazard pathways in the Himalayas. The findings highlight the urgent need for multi-sensor early-warning frameworks, real-time geodetic monitoring, and climate-resilient infrastructure planning in mountain corridors. More broadly, the Ramban 2025 case establishes a transferable framework for understanding and mitigating extreme precipitation-driven hazards in other fragile mountain regions.