(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Tidal waves reaching up to three metres battered the Visakhapatnam coast as the cyclone crossed the coast.
THREE PERSONS were killed in cyclone-related incidents in Andhra Pradesh as cyclone ‘Hudhud’ categorised as ‘very severe’ on Saturday made landfall around noon on Sunday between Bheemli and Kailasgiri in the port city of Visakhapatnam in north coastal Andhra.
Visakhapatnam which bore the brunt of the cyclone with wind speeds reaching up to 200 kmph was in shambles with uprooted trees fallen electric poles and torn-apart hoardings strewn all over the city.
The port city and the adjoining districts of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam were battered by heavy rains right from Sunday morning as the cyclone’s periphery entered the coast before the eye of the storm crossed over marking landfall around 1pm.
Tidal waves reaching up to three metres battered the Visakhapatnam coast as the cyclone crossed the coast.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu who has been constantly monitoring the situation said reports of three deaths had come in from the affected districts all of them in wall collapses or trees crashing down.
“The initial assessment reveals that human casualty has been minimal mainly due to the precautionary measures taken by the government like shifting people from low-lying areas to safer zones” he said adding that the losses however were massive with the cyclone causing extensive damage to standing crops buildings and communication lines.
“The cyclone-affected areas are being battered by heavy rains and wind speeds reaching up to 200 kmph. The next few hours are crucial since the meteorological department has forecast heavy rains. Our focus is now on rescue relief and rehabilitation” he said adding that over 200000 people had been evacuated and housed in over 600 cyclone shelters in the past 24 hours.
“The safety of the people is my primary concern” the chief minister added.
With the situation likely to remain grim in the next few hours on account of the heavy rains authorities have warned people in all the cyclone-affected areas not to move out of their houses or cyclone shelters.
“There is a lull now but the cyclonic activity would increase when the tail of the storm passes over the coast before it settles down into a cyclonic storm and later into a depression” an official said. Besides the cancellation of over 60 trains and diversion of another 50 trains passing through the cyclone-ravaged areas authorities also closed down traffic movement on the Kolkota-Chennai national highway between Kakinada and Itchapuram.
Sources said authorities had converted railway community halls station buildings and even some railway coaches into cyclone shelters in the affected districts.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 42 rescue teams — 24 in Andhra Pradesh and 18 in Odisha — comprising 1775 rescuers along with 214 rescue boats in vulnerable locations.
The Indian Army Navy and Air Force personnel are also on high alert to move in as and when the situation demands.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department besides Andhra and Odisha the cyclone effect will be felt in various other states in the form of heavy rains including in Telangana Jharkhand Chattisgarh eastern Uttar Pradesh parts of Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. The impact of the cyclone is likely to continue till October 15 the IMD said.
Union Cabinet Secretary Ajith Seth who held a Crisis Management Committee meeting to assess the situation said the centre was constantly monitoring the situation and was in close touch with the affected states.
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