November 23, 2024

Cyclone Michaung toll rises to 16 in Tamil Nadu; landfall in Andhra Pradesh throws life out of gear | India News

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VISAKHAPATNAM/CHENNAI: Cyclone made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast near Bapatla on Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by intense rain and wind speeds up to 100kmph, causing widespread devastation and affecting more than two crore people. The storm has claimed 17 lives so far – 16 in Chennai and its neighbouring districts, and a child in Andhra.
The prelude to Michaung‘s landfall from Sunday to Monday saw an average of 46cm of rainfall, causing widespread chaos in Chennai and adjoining regions.Thousands of ground-floor homes and vehicles remained submerged on Tuesday, though the day was generally sunny in the city.
In Andhra, the cyclone wreaked havoc on thousands of acres of standing crops, primarily paddy. Around 10,000 people were evacuated.
Stalin asks Centre for Rs 5,000 crore aid for flood relief
The Tamil Nadu capital remained waterlogged on Tuesday, with over 61,000 people seeking refuge in government-run shelters. Many others checked into service apartments and budget hotels due to shortages of water, essentials, and electricity. CM MK Stalin requested Rs 5,000 crore in central aid, highlighting the extensive damage to roads, buildings, and critical infrastructure caused by the record rainfall.
Civil and military rescuers evacuated Chennai residents, including women, senior citizens, and pets. Army helicopters dropped food packets to affected areas. Nearly 600 pumps were deployed to drain water from interior areas, but the city’s main waterways — Adyar and Cooum rivers — were at full capacity, slowing down the evacuation process.
The information technology corridor in Chennai witnessed severe impact due to the incessant downpour. Corporate offices and IT firms in localities like Perungudi faced significant challenges with flooding. The OMR, a critical business hub, submerged under floodwaters for 15 hours.
Experts attribute the heavy downpours to the storm’s proximity, being as close as 90 km east of Chennai, and remaining stationary for over eight hours, struggling to recurve at a speed of 3 kmph to 5 kmph northwards toward Andhra. This extended stay off the Chennai coast resulted in a prolonged period of heavy rainfall.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials reported that cyclone Michaung continued its landfall in Andhra Pradesh for about three hours on Tuesday afternoon, bringing strong gales and heavy rain to the region. Subsequently, it moved northwards and weakened into a cyclonic storm on Tuesday night.
It is expected to further weaken into a depression on Wednesday, triggering heavy rain in parts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and southern Odisha.
Watch Cyclone Michaung update: Death toll in Chennai rises to 12, fifty flights cancelled in AP



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