Andhra braces for Cyclone Michaung's landfall, 8 dead in Chennai
After causing eight deaths in Tamil Nadu's Chennai, Cyclone Michaung is set to hit Andhra Pradesh as a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday, bringing powerful winds of 90-100km/h and gusts up to 110km/h. Residents of low-lying areas are being evacuated to over 300 relief camps. Andhra Pradesh's government issued alerts for eight districts, and several trains were canceled. Chennai's death toll rose from six to eight as rain wreaked havoc. Around 15,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas, fearing flooding.
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Cyclone Michaung remained centered over the west coast of the Bay of Bengal on Monday and is now moving northward near the coast. Given its long coastline of 974km, the third-longest in the country, Andhra Pradesh is more vulnerable to cyclones. Around 33 lakh people live within five kilometers of the state's coastline. Meanwhile, all schools and Anganwadi centers in neighboring Odisha's Gajapati district have been closed until Wednesday due to the possibility of heavy rains.
Landfall expected between Kavali and Machilipatnam
Coastal areas in Andhra Pradesh are bracing for a storm surge of 1-1.5 meters, particularly impacting the Bapatla and Krishna districts. The cyclone is expected to make landfall between Kavali and Machilipatnam around Tuesday noon. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked officials to treat the impending cyclone as a major challenge. Union Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah has been in contact with the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Puducherry, ensuring them of the Centre's support.
Scenes of devastation in Andhra Pradesh overnight
Preparations and evacuations underway in affected districts
To prepare for the cyclone, special officers have been assigned to all affected Andhra districts, and Rs. 2 crore each has been allocated for rescue and relief efforts. The state government has issued an alert for Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema, and Kakinada districts. Meanwhile, CrPC Section 144 has been imposed in Puducherry's coastal areas until Tuesday evening. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed, with more on standby.
Chennai witnessed severe destruction, property damage
IMD predicts extremely heavy rainfall
India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra warned that coastal Andhra Pradesh cities and towns will face extremely heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving up to 30-40cm of precipitation. Although rain has ceased in Chennai, much of the city remains flooded, particularly in low-lying regions. The Chennai airport reportedly resumed operations on Tuesday morning, with schools, colleges, and government offices also shut down. The state government is urging private companies to allow employees to work from home.
