Cyclone Helen Hit Andhra Pradesh Coast Friday Nov 22,2013

The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal would intensify into a cyclonic storm and cross the coast between Chennai and Ongole tomorrow night,the IMD reported on Wed Nov 20,2013

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at a few places in Guntur, Krishna, Nellore and Prakasam districts with strong winds ranging between 70-80 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph, from November 21 evening

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the severe cyclonic storm will cross the coast near Machillipatnam around Nov 22,2013 Friday afternoon. 

The IMD has issued a cyclone warning to Andhra Pradesh coast. 

The IMD’s bulletin early Friday said Helen over west central Bay of Bengal moved slightly west-northwestwards and lay centred at about 120 km east of Machillipatnam, 250 km east-northeast of Ongole and 200 km south-southwest of Vishakhapatnam. 

It would move west-northwestwards for some time, then westward and cross Andhra Pradesh coast near Machillipatnam. 

Sea condition will be rough to very rough along and off south Andhra coast.Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. The authorities have hoisted warning signals at all ports along Andhra coast

Heavy rains accompanied by strong gales are lashing Krishna, Visakhapatnam, West Godavari and some other parts of the coastal region since early Friday.

Authorities have declared holiday for educational institutions

Several thousand people were evacuated from low-lying areas, standing crops in a few lakh acres were marooned and coconut trees and electric poles were uprooted in the 3 coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh as the severe cyclonic storm Helen made a landfall near Machilipatnam on Nov 22,2013 Friday afternoon

 

Even after landfall, the system was expected to maintain the intensity of cyclonic storm for six hours and gradually weaken into a deep depression in subsequent six hours, while moving westwards across coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Life was thrown out of gear in several parts of East Godavari District on Friday as the impact of cyclone Helen was felt all over. Heavy rain coupled with gales continued to hit the district from the early hours of the day, uprooting trees and roofs of the huts along the coast

As per the preliminary information, Konaseema region was the worst hit in the district. Two teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were waiting to swing into action in Amalapuram and Razole

Two deaths each were reported from West Godavari and Krishna Districts. In West Godavari, Penumantra Tehsildar G. Satyanarayana (52) reportedly lost control of his vehicle following gales and hit a tree while driving to office from his native village of Batlamogalturu. In the other incident, one Bhaskar Rao was crushed to death when an uprooted tree fell on him

Crop in thousands of acres of paddy fields, which was ready for harvesting in a couple of weeks in Krishna District, collapsed on the field with the grain due to heavy winds accompanying Cyclone Helen

The casualties are less, but ‘Helen’ has caused unimaginable loss to paddy crop. Heavy rain recorded in the evening led to inundation of fields, shattering the hopes of a bumper yield

A flattened paddy field and coconut trees that took the brunt of the gale that accompanied Cyclone Helen, at Pedamainivani Lanka in West Godavari near Machilipatnam on Friday Nov 22,2013

  

Truncated trees, twisted electric poles, the flattened paddy crop and huge hoardings bore the tell-tale signs of the devastation caused by cyclone Helen which crossed the coast on Friday Nov 22,2013

 

Several villages in Palacol, Yalamanchili, Narsapur and Mogaltur plunged into darkness for well over 24 hours since last midnight

 APSRTC suspended services from Narsapur to Rajahmundry, Nidadavole, Doddipatla, Pedamainavanilanka and from Bhimavaram to coastal habitations such as Matsyapuri, Varlagonditippa and Gollapalem

Gales with a speed ranging beyond 80kmph caused heavy damage to fruit-bearing plantations such as coconut and mango in Pedamainavanilanka, Chinaminavanilanka, Perubalem and K.P. Palem in Narsapur and Mogaltur mandals.