People run for shelter as heavy rain and wind gusts rip through the Bay of Bengal coast at Gopalpur, Orissa, about 285 kilometers (178 miles) north east of Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014.
NEW DELHI, INDIA—
At least three people were killed as a powerful cyclone slammed into India’s eastern coast Sunday. More than 350,000 people living along the coast have been evacuated.
The impact of the severe cyclone was first felt in Visakhapatnam, a major naval base in Andhra Pradesh state and in surrounding villages, as winds packing speeds of nearly 195 kilometers per hour uprooted trees and billboards, snapped power cables, and led to the suspension of air, bus and train services.
Those in the path of the storm huddled indoors throughout the day as it battered the region, with heavy rain and storm surges in many areas.
Several deaths were blamed on a wall collapse and falling trees.
Mass evacuations
But mass evacuations of the region’s most vulnerable residents - fishermen and small farmers who live in flimsy mud and thatch huts along the coast, kept most people safe.
They were housed in hundreds of temporary shelters set up in schools and other public buildings in the two states that bore the brunt of the storm - Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Many people reluctant to leave their homes were forcibly moved out.
In Andhra Pradesh, tens of thousands had been evacuated by Sunday.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said huge numbers had been moved to safety in his state, too.
“As per the latest information received 67,752 people have been evacuated. We are monitoring the situation and taking all precautions that are possible,” Patnaik said.
Storm preparations
Extensive preparations were put in place for Cyclone Hudhud, ironically named after a dainty bird. The cyclone, classified as “severe,” struck a year after another powerful storm hit the region.
Nearly 2,000 members of the National Disaster Response Force stood on standby. Naval ships equipped with divers and helicopters were deployed. Air force teams were positioned for relief work.
The head of India’s Meteorological Department, L.S. Rathore said the cyclone will gradually weaken with wind speeds dropping by the evening. He said the city of Visakhapatnam, would be worst affected.
“The relief and rescue operations, because the aircraft and helicopter operations over the city of Visakhapatnam are very critical and we are expecting [Monday morning] the aircraft will be able to operate because by that time, wind speed will be lesser. ... By that time it will become [a] depression,” Rathore said.
To assess damage
Authorities will begin assessing the destruction Monday, but they expect massive damage to crops and telecommunication lines from the destructive wind speeds.
India’s eastern region is prone to being battered by powerful storms, and memories of one that killed more than 10,000 people 15 years ago have still not faded.
That disaster prompted authorities to strengthen systems to cope with severe storms. The biggest emphasis is on mass evacuations that have helped minimize casualties. |
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