Cyclone Gaja: 2 dead in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district.
Gaja leaves trail of destruction.
With a speed of over 120 kmph, severe cyclonic storm made a landfall in Tamil Nadu on Friday morning. It made its landfall between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranniyam. As many as 82 people were evacuated, who have been rehabilitated in over 400 relief centres across six districts.
According to IMD communique at 3.15 AM said , "Though the center of cyclone is over land, rear sector of eye wall is still over sea. It will take about an hour to move over land," the IMD bulletin issued at 3.15 AM said. However, Deputy Director General of Meteorology S Balachandran told PTI, the cyclone will take another two hours to fully cross the coast." By 10 AM, the worst is likely to be over.
Rains lashed Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Thanjavur, uprooting trees in several regions. Electricity supply was disconnected in large part of the region.
Four teams each of National Disaster Response Force personnel have been already deployed in Nagapattinam district while two teams of the state disaster response force in Cuddalore district, officials said Thursday.The state disaster management authority had released an animated video aimed at creating awareness on the do's and don'ts during cyclone.The government has announced helpline numbers 1070 (state-level) and 1077 (districts) for those who may need assistance.
With agency inputs
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According to PTI,"Cuddalore received 8 cm, Nagapattinam 5 cm and neighbouring Puducherry and Karaikkal 5 cm each up to 5.30 am Friday, according to a MeT official in Chennai. Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority said those in the relief centres went up to 81,948 in 471 relief centres at , Nagapattinam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Tiruvarur from 76,290 people who were evacuated from low lying areas. According to Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, as many as 81,948 people were evacuated from low lying areas and sheltered in 471 relief centres in six districts Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvarur."
Revenue Minister R B Udaya Kumar told reporters that the government has tackled the cyclone situation successfully.
"This was a challenging task...we are confident that we have faced it safely 100 per cent" he said, adding all post-cyclone tasks like cleaning up storm affected areas has begun.