Thank God, Hudhud severity less in Odisha

--Communication affected in some dists as trees fall on road

BHUBANESWAR: Thank God, finally Odisha got spared from the eye of cyclonic storm Hudhud that hit the coast at Pudimadaka, about 50 km from Visakhapatnam city in Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday noon. The people of the State heaved a sigh of relief after they escaped from a danger. 

Though the south Odisha districts, Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput and Malkangiri, experienced a wind speed of 60-70 kmph along with intermittent rainfall in the afternoon, the people felt relatively relieved from an expected fury of the nature.  

The people, who have experienced wind speed of 270-80 kmph during the Super Cyclone in 1999 and 210-20 kmph during Phailin in 2013, were much worried about the Hudhud’s movement. But the fear has gone when the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that intensity of the storm would decrease after six hours of its landfall. 

Under the influence of Hudhud, trees in several areas of the south Odisha districts got damaged and fell on the road as a result of which roads were blocked and communication was hit. Around 50 mud houses were collapsed due to heavy rain in Koraput, Ganjam, Gajapati and Malkangiri districts. 

As it was a new experience for the people of Koraput and Malkangiri, the cyclone prediction and evacuation by the administration created fear among the people of these tribal dominated areas. Koraput districts’ Pottangi area, which is in the border of Andhra Pradesh, witnessed heavy rainfall. Around 15 houses were damaged in the storm, reports said. 

In Ganjam, the situation was bit normal despite a wind speed of 70-80 kmph in the district. One Udaynath Sahu of Siddheswar village under the Digapahandi police limits in the district was killed when wall of his house fell on him. 

Situation of Rayagada and Malkangiri was also normal after landfall of the storm. No eventuality was reported by the evening. 

Similarly, Gajapati district also witnessed heavy rainfall of 304 mm. The district administration has evacuated around 57000 people and sheltered them in 643 cyclone shelters in the district expecting post landfall effect of the storm.      

A curfew like situation prevailed all over the market and roads of south Odisha districts. The shops had been shut and there were virtually no vehicles on roads, reports added. 

Meanwhile, after landfall of cyclone Hudhud, the IMD bulletin said, the system would maintain the intensity of very severe cyclonic storm for six hours and gradually weaken into cyclonic storm in subsequent six hours while moving northwestwards across south interior Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Gale with speed reaching 100-120 kmph gusting to 130 kmph will prevail for six hours after landfall and 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph for subsequent six hours over East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts of north Andhra Pradesh and Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput and Malkangiri districts of Odisha, the bulletin said.

Squally winds with speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph would also prevail for the next 12 hours after landfall in south Chhattisgarh and adjoining districts of north Telangana and south Odisha, the IMD said.