Cyclone Michaung Hits Andhra Coast, Power Cuts in Chennai

According to a representative of the Amaravati Meteorological Centre, between 12.30 and 2.30 pm, the powerful cyclonic storm Michaung—pronounced “migjaum”—crossed the coast of Andhra Pradesh in the Bapatla district, with gales reaching 90–100 km/h. Throughout the past several hours, the weather system has brought in severe downpours to a number of locations in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh.

Twelve persons have lost their lives in a variety of rain-related disasters that Cyclone Michaung caused in and around Chennai. using Tuesday, individuals were being rescued by personnel using farm tractors and fishing boats. In light of the current circumstances brought on by Cyclone Michaung, agromet advisories have been issued for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha.

Due to Cyclone Michaung’s effects, Chennai experienced tremendous rains on Tuesday. That transformed roads into rivers and carried cars away, prompting officials to close educational institutions. Private companies requested that staff members work from home till things get better.

Strong gusts and rain caused walls, power poles, and trees to topple. Metro stations experienced waterlogging, while floodwaters forced the temporary suspension of medical services at government hospitals. Many planes and trains were canceled as a result of the storm, which negatively impacted transportation services. Due to the lack of aircraft till Tuesday morning, the runway at Chennai airport flooded, resulting in congestion and annoyance for travelers.

Here are the Key Updates on Cyclone Michaung:

1. The amount of rain lessened marginally throughout the night. Still, the Tamil Nadu government decided to proclaim Tuesday a public holiday. In the districts of Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvallur, and Chengalpattu. Rainfall totals over the last 24 hours were 29 cm in Perungudi, Chennai. 28 cm in Avadi, Tiruvallur district; and 22 cm in Mamallapuram, Chengalpet.
2. Most of Chennai had a break from the rain since early on Tuesday, which allowed authorities to concentrate on rescue and relief efforts. Following the rains in Chennai, there were many concerns about power outages. However, the state administration said that 80% of the power supply had been restored.
3. Eleven individuals in Chennai who sustained injuries in rain-related accidents are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, according to authorities. A number of District Disaster Response Teams have been established to provide assistance efforts in every part of the city impacted by the rain. As a precautionary step, a considerable number of department personnel, including police, fire, and rescue. These were dispatched to regions hit by the rain to initiate relief operations right away.
4. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin declared earlier in the day that rescue efforts were being carried out on a war footing during a press conference held at the Chennai Corporation offices. Stalin reported that 61,666 relief camps had been set up in the nine devastated districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai. One lakh milk packages and over eleven lakh food packets were supplied.
5. Additionally, the chief minister informed the press that power restoration will happen gradually. He pointed out that compared to the 2015 floods during the AIADMK’s rule, the crisis was handled significantly better.

More Updates

1. Along with the severe rain, the MeT department issued a warning of further heavy precipitation and gales in several areas of the state over the next three days, battering adjacent Andhra Pradesh as well. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has temporarily stopped allowing pilgrims to bathe in the Sri Kapilathirtham waterfalls due to the unceasing rain.
2. To address the challenges posed by Cyclone Michaung, the Railway Ministry has established a war room. At the Rail Bhawan in New Delhi and an emergency control cell in Chennai.
3. Along with a list of DG sets, pumps, and submersible sewage pumps that are available at various stations, Southern Railways. And other concerned zones have also released a list of general instructions. And emergency contact numbers for the public in case of any emergencies. These numbers include the phone numbers of railway officials, medical teams, and emergency vehicles. Commercial control for public inquiries, tower wagon drivers, and emergency vehicles. The directives said that the Railways will prioritize preventing fatalities and avoiding damage to Railway property.
4. The district collector of Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district, Raja Babu. He stated that every precaution had been taken to guarantee that Machilipatnam and the Krishna district would not suffer any losses in life or property. According to him, 57 relief camps were established throughout seven coastal mandals, and residents of low-lying districts were relocated there. He promised that there would be enough food, medication, and lodging in the relief camps.
5. The police said that traffic was halted from Manjambakkam to Vadaperumbakkam Road. Owing to the flow of water from Puzhal Lake the subways had been blocked. As a result of the extreme waterlogging in Chennai.