Uttarakhand, the mountainous northern state that hosts Dharali, has been devastated by cloudbursts before. A June 2013 cloudburst killed over 6,000 people in Uttarakhand and surrounding states, becoming the country's worst natural disaster in ten years. In 2021, flash flooding triggered by a cloudburst killed over 200.

Flash floods have swept away homes and shops in northern India, killing at least four people and trapping many others under debris.

More than 100 people are missing and at least one has died after devastating flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Rescue operations are under way in Uttarkashi district after a massive wave of water surged down the mountains into Dharali village on Tuesday, submerging roads and buildings in its path.