Thousands of rescuers workers launched a desperate rescue attempt as rains eased up on Friday.
They worked to shift the marooned people to 1,200 state-run camps where more than 150,000 people already have taken shelter.
Heavy rains over the past eight days triggered flooding, landslides and home and road bridge collapses, severely disrupting air and train services in Kerala state, a popular tourist destination with beautiful beaches.
State officials have put the death toll at 164 since August 8.
Monsoon rains kill hundreds of people every year in India. The season runs from June to September.
Since May 29, the rains have resulted in the deaths of more than 500 people across large parts of India while government officials say crops worth in the region of £40 million, across almost 27,000 hectares, have been ruined.
Kerala state authorities have taken the unprecedented step of opening the gates of 25 water reservoirs to prevent potentially disastrous breaches
The state, which has 44 rivers, witnessed its worst floods in 1924 following torrential rains
The weather department forecast heavy rains until August 15, also warning of flooding in low-lying coastal areas. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Arabian sea.
