Hudhud bears down on north coastal districts

• Telltale signs of devastation found everywhere
• Mangled iron rods, electric polls, uprooted trees bear testimony to destructive force of cyclone
• All three districts plunged into darkness as power supply is snapped
• National highways passing through Vizag, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam remain shut

Visakhapatnam/Vizianagaram/Srikakulam: Collapsed houses, mangled iron rods, uprooted trees, snapped electric wires and telephone overhead cables and deserted streets in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts are a few telltale signs of devastation that the cyclonic storm Hudhud inflicted on the infrastructure. All the three districts remain plunged into darkness. Destruction was said to be unprecedented in 20 years.

The severe cyclonic storm bore down heavily on Visakhapatnam district after it made landfall on Sunday afternoon. Telephone, television and other communication networks suffered damage by gales. There was sea surge up to two metres in the city.

People in this port city remained indoors as winds are gusting up to 200 kmph and heavy rains are forecast in the next couple of days. Uprooted trees and flexi-boards torn and fallen on ground, blown-up roof tops are strewn everywhere in and around the city. Operations at Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram ports were paralysed due to the cyclone.

Majority of mechanised boats at Visakhapatnam fishing harbour returned to the anchorage. There are reports of sea surge on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam especially at Mangamaripeta.

Vizianagaram district was rocked by the severe cyclonic storm. Heavy rains, accompanied by high velocity winds snapped the electric wires and uprooted trees. The impact of the cyclone was extreme in 22 villages under Bogapuram and Pusapati Rega mandals.

National highway passing through the district has remained shut. No vehicles, except the ambulances, are allowed to ply on the national highway to ensure that there is no human loss due to falling trees.

Srikakulam district was battered by heavy rains under the influence of cyclone. As many as 200 villages in 11 mandals such as Etcherla, Srikakulam, Gara, Narasannapeta, Mandasa and Sompeta bore the brunt of destruction. Road network was cut off to villages such as Gara, Kalingapatnam and other areas from Saturday midnight. Three Navy teams reached Kaviti and Etcherla and rescued the people living in low-lying areas. Many trees fell down on Srikakulam-Kalingapatnam route disrupting the movement of cyclone-relief vehicles.

Movement of vehicles, except those of NDRF and ambulances, was prohibited as the officials feared loss of human lives due to uprooting of huge trees as a result of the heavy gales.

The situation still remains grim at places like Kalingapatnam, Bandaruvanipeta, Mogadalapadu and other areas adjacent to the sea coast.

Hundreds of thatched houses were damaged in Mogadalapadu area.

Over 1.5 lakh people were shifted to 150 shelters. Flood alert has been sounded to Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers which started receiving heavy inflows due to rains.

About one lakh food packets would be dispatched to cyclone-affected Visakhapatnam and other districts, East Godavari District Collector Neetu Prasad said on Sunday.

Uppada beach road in Kakinada rural mandal suffered erosion as rains battered Konapakapeta due to tidal waves.