Tidal waves continue to slam Andhra coast
December 29th, 2011 - 2:14 pm ICT by IANSHyderabad, Dec 29 (IANS) High tidal waves Thursday continued to slam the Andhra Pradesh coast under the influence of severe cyclonic storm ‘Thane’ in the Bay of Bengal which is likely to cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Chennai Friday.
All nine coastal districts went on high alert while authorities with the help of Coast Guard launched efforts to rescue fishermen trapped on the high seas off the coast in East Godavari district.
Third warning signal was hoisted at all ports off the Andhra coast while rain accompanied by strong gale began lashing Nellore and Srikakulam districts in the morning, officials said.
Commissioner of disaster management T. Radha has requested the commandant of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) based at Mangalagiri to keep the force ready for movement on the request of the district collectors.
A helicopter was pressed into service to rescue five fishermen trapped at sea, 15 km from the coast at Antravedi in East Godavari district, since Wednesday. Their boat is unable to reach the shore due to high tidal waves.
About 100 fishermen from Uppada in the same district have also not returned for the last two days, causing anxiety to their families. Authorities have sought the help of Coast Guard in tracing them.
Four fishermen from Bapatla in Guntur district are also reported missing. They have not returned home for four days.
Authorities have also launched efforts to rescue another nine fishermen stranded at sea near Machilipatnam in Krishna district.
Panic prevailed among people living along the coast due to rough conditions in the sea. Sea water gushed in up to 50 metres in some coastal villages in Krishna, East Godavari and Srikakulam districts.
For the second consecutive day, the beach road between Uppada and Kakinada was inundated by high tidal waves.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was on a visit to Delhi, reviewed the situation with Chief Secretary Pankaj Dwivedi over phone and directed him to alert all district collectors.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued ‘orange’ alert - which stands for a severe cyclone - for north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra coasts.
According to an IMD bulletin, the severe cyclonic storm lay centred about 300 km east-southeast of Chennai.
The storm is likely to move westwards and cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Chennai, close to Puducherry Friday morning.
However, as the cyclonic storm will come further close to the coast, there is probability of slight weakening before landfall.
- Navy rescues 11 fishermen, Andhra coast on high alert (Lead) - Dec 29, 2011
- High tidal waves lash Andhra coast - Dec 28, 2011
- Coastal Andhra braces for cyclone 'Thane' (Lead) - Dec 28, 2011
- Andhra on alert as cyclone 'Thane' threatens coast (Lead) - Dec 27, 2011
- Cyclone threat along Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu coasts - Dec 27, 2011
- Cyclone Thane to cross Tamil Nadu coast Friday morning - Dec 29, 2011
- Tamil Nadu gears up for cyclone Thane (Lead) - Dec 29, 2011
- Cyclone Thane kills 15 in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry (Third Lead) - Dec 30, 2011
- Cyclone Thane kills 33 in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry; spares Andhra (Roundup) - Dec 30, 2011
- Cyclone Thane kills five in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry (Second Lead) - Dec 30, 2011
- Cyclone Thane makes landfall in Tamil Nadu (Lead) - Dec 30, 2011
- Andhra calls in rescue teams as cyclone threat grows (Lead) - May 18, 2010
- Alert in Andhra as cyclone threatens coast - Nov 06, 2010
- Heavy rain, gale in south coastal Andhra - Dec 30, 2011
- Cyclone Thane kills 33 in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry (Fourth Lead) - Dec 30, 2011
Tags: bay of bengal, coastal districts, coastal villages, disaster management, disaster response, east godavari, five fishermen, godavari district, kakinada, kiran kumar, krishna district, machilipatnam, nagapattinam, national disaster, response force, rough conditions, severe cyclonic storm, strong gale, tamil nadu, tidal waves