Michaung cyclone creates havoc in AP districts

Vijayawada: The Severe Cyclonic Storm Michaung is creating havoc in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema districts with incessant rains and heavy gales.
Coastal AP districts including combined Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari, East Godavari and Kadapa and Tirupati in Rayalaseema have been battered by the Michaung cycle as loss of crop, property and loss of life have been reported. A constable was killed when an uprooted tree fell on him in the combined Kadapa district.
There has been incessant rains in most places in Nellore, Prakasam and Guntur districts since Monday evening under the influence of Michaung cyclone and normal life was thrown out of gear. Several villages in the districts were in the dark due to power failure. Uprooting of a large number
of electric poles and trees were reported from the districts. Warning 10 has been sounded in Nizampatnam and Krishnapatnam ports.
According to official sources, over 10,000 people were shifted to relief camps in the cyclone affected district. The flight services were cancelled in the Gannavaram airport near here and in Visakhapatnam airport. The NDRF and SDRF teams were deployed to the affected district to swing in action if needed.
The famous hill Tirumala received 10 MM of rainfall during the last 24 hours and the Gogarbam and Papanasini dams were brimful. All the main thoroughfares in Tirupati were in knee deep water and several colonies were inundated. The roads at several places were damaged in Nellore district, disrupting vehicular traffic to over 100 villages.
The horticulture crop including banana, papaya, betel leaf, mango and vegetable crops were badly damaged in Kadapa district. Papata and plantain plants were seen falling down. Sources informed that over 25,000 banana plants were uprooted in Chitwale mandal in Annamayya district.
The worst affected by the Michaung cyclone are paddy farmers. The paddy crop was damaged in lakhs of acres. The paddy farmers in these districts were preparing for harvest and the incessant rain damaged the standing crop. The farmers who have already harvested their paddy crop were seen saving their produce by wrapping plastic sheets.
Michaung Cyclone Rainfall (in mm) recorded over Andhra Pradesh from 08:30 Monday to 05:30 Tuesday: Bapatla are as follows: 207.2, Nellore – 197.7, Machilipatnam – 145.8, Kavali – 142.6, Tirupathi AP – 120.7, Ongole – 108.8, Narsapur – 58.4, Kakinada – 50.8, Visakhapatnam – 47.4, Amaravati – 31, Gannavaram – 25.5, Kalingapatnam – 23.2 and Tuni – 22.3