On the Indian mainland, Tamil Nadu was the worst affected state with official death tolls placing the dead at more than 8000 people. It is estimated that nearly 76 percent of those killed on the mainland were from the southern district of Nagapattinam, the worst affected in India.

The devastation in Nagapattinam has severely affected about 80 villages. Many more have faced damage in varying degrees. Fishing villages dominate this coastal district and nearly 70 percent of the severely affected villages are fishing villages. Akkarapettai and Keechankuppam have been the most badly affected villages in Nagapattinam with over a 1000 affected families. In many villages, the loss of life was estimated by the number of bodies recovered rather than those dead, as the sea swept people off one coast and washed their bodies up a different shore.