Cyclone Hudhud: Sea pushes 20 feet into coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam/Hyderabad/Nellore: The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad, on Friday, warned that many areas in Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari would face storm surges due to very high tides during the landfall of Cyclone Hudhud on Sunday.

Many areas in Anakapalli, Bheemili, Cheepurupalli, Pusapatirega, Pithapuram, Tuni, Visakhapatnam city, and Yelamanchili would face storm surges or inundation or both.

High waves, between 3 metres and 8.2 metres,  were recorded on Friday evening at various locations between Dugarajapatnam in Nellore district and Baruva in Srikakulam. The height of the waves would reach 6.5 metres at the Vizag coast and 6 metres at Vizianagaram when the cyclone makes landfall.

Read: Hudhud races toward Vishakhapatnam, coast on alert

INCOIS has predicted waves in West Godavari at 4 metres height, East Godavari 4 metres, Visakhapatnam 6.5 metres, Vizianagaram 6 metres and Srikakulam at 5 metres on Sunday. The sea has already come 20 feet inland in some parts of Srikakulam. Three more All-India Service Officers have been deployed to handle the situation

On Friday, AP chief secretary, I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, held a video-conference with the collectors of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and East Godavari districts and directed them to take all steps to save lives and property. He also asked officials to prohibit the movement of people near the coast.

The Union Cabinet secretary also held a review meeting with the AP and Odisha CS and said that the Centre would send more rescue teams even as National Disaster Response Force teams had already been deployed.

Nellore and Prakasam district authorities too have put all Revenue officials working in coastal mandals on alert.

Meanwhile 4 navy ships, 6 aircraft ready for assistance

With cyclone Hudhud set to make landfall on the east coast, the Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command has assumed high degree of readiness to render humanitarian assistance. Four Indian Naval ships are standing by to proceed to the most affected areas.

Read: Cyclone disrupts railways schedule

Six aircraft are on standby at the Naval Air Station, INS Dega. Thirty diving teams and four platoons with additional relief material are ready to be pressed into action at short notice. to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR), evacuation, logistic support including providing medical aid.

These ships are ready  with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats, integral helicopters and relief material that include food, tents, clothes, medicines, blankets in quantities sufficient to sustain over 5000 personnel.

The ENC is monitoring the developments closely and is in constant communication with the state administration to augment rescue and relief operations, said an ENC representative.