Cyclone Michaung: 5 killed as rains pound Chennai; Andhra on high alert

New Delhi/Amaravati/Chennai: Cyclone Michaung is looming over west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, off the coasts of south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu. It lay 80 kilometres southeast of Nellore, 120 kilometres north to northeast of Chennai, 210 kilometres south of Bapatla and 250 kilometres south to southwest of Machilipatnam.

It is likely to move northwards parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla during the forenoon of Tuesday as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds reaching up to 110 kilometres per hour.

With the severe Cyclone Michaung poised for landfall by the Bapatla coast on Tuesday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed officials to be on high alert for taking up relief measures.

Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, rains wreaked havoc across Chennai and its neighboring districts, inundating the city, causing disruptions in flights and trains, and startling residents with a video capturing a crocodile crossing a submerged road. The relentless downpour, reminiscent of the 2015 deluge, paralysed daily life, prompting authorities to declare a public holiday and dispatch rescue teams to aid a city besieged by torrential rains.

At least five cclone-related deaths were reported from Chennai in Tamil Nadu on Monday after the rains pounded the city and adjoining areas. Two of the victims died of electrocution while one person was killed after a tree fell on him in the upmarket Besant Nagar area of the city, an official release said. Two unidentified bodies—each of a man and woman were found in different rain-affected parts of the city.

Earlier on Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday spoke to the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry on the situation arising due to Cyclone Michaung and assured them of all necessary central help.

Shah also said adequate deployment of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel has already been made and additional teams are ready for further assistance.

In a post on X, Shah said he had spoken to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his counterparts in Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and N Rangaswamy, respectively.

“...Took stock of the measures taken to tackle the challenging weather conditions caused by the Cyclone Michaung. Assured them of all the necessary assistance from the Modi government to secure lives,” Shah said in the post.

“Adequate deployment of the NDRF has already been made and additional teams are ready for further assistance,” he further said.

Separately, the home minister also had a discussion with the Andhra Pradesh chief minister about the preparations concerning the cyclone’s potential landfall.

“Saving the lives of citizens has been our priority. The central government is braced to provide all the necessary assistance to Andhra Pradesh. NDRF is already deployed and more teams are on standby to mobilise as needed,” he said.

In view of the heavy rain lashing Andhra Pradesh under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm, the state government issued an alert for eight districts — Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada — while the chief minister set several relief efforts in motion.

In a review meeting at his camp office, Reddy directed the officials to treat the storm as a major challenge to avoid loss of life and property as the winds are expected to blow gales reaching speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, the severe cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall near Bapatla around noon on Tuesday, accompanied by winds reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour.

The weather system is expected to persist till Thursday and thereafter become a deep depression and subside, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the evacuation process of the people affected is underway and 181 of the 308 required relief camps have been opened.

Five National Disaster Response Force and an equal number of State Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed in the affected districts.

Further, the chief minister directed the special officers to focus on the medical, food and drinking water needs of the evacuees. While returning from the relief camps, officials have been directed to handover financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per family and Rs 1,000 in case of individual evacuees.

For severely affected thatched houses, Reddy directed the officials to distribute an aid of Rs 10,000. Additionally, food rations of 25 kilogramme rice, along with pulses, edible oil, onions and potatoes will be distributed to the evacuees.

In Tamil Nadu’s Chennai, residents hurried to purchase and replenish supplies, with a high demand for drinking water. The continuous downpour resulted in power outages and internet disruptions.

Transportation services took a severe blow, with numerous trains and flights canceled. Waterlogged roads presented challenges for the scarce number of road users. Operations at the Chennai airport were halted from 9:40 am to 11 pm, with about 70 flights cancelled due to incessant rains and waterlogging affecting the runway and tarmac, as stated by the Airport Authority of India.

The Southern Railway reported the suspension of many trains originating from Dr. MGR Chennai Central to destinations such as Coimbatore and Mysuru, offering full refunds to affected passengers.

As a result of inundation, 14 subways in the city were closed, and authorities removed uprooted trees from 11 locations.

To manage the situation, the Tamil Nadu government declared a public holiday for educational institutions, government and private offices, financial institutions, and banks in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts on Tuesday. Private companies were urged to enable work from home for employees in affected regions.

Despite the disruptions, essential services such as police, fire service, medical facilities, power supply, and disaster response offices continued to operate. The government deployed ten teams with 250 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel for rescue operations in affected districts.

The Industries Department established a help desk to aid small and medium enterprises, while SIPCOT monitored and cleared hurdles within industrial parks in affected areas.with agency inputs