Visakhapatnam/Srikakulam/ Rajahmundry/Kakinada: The IMD predicted that Vizag, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and East Godavari would receive around 24.5 cm rainfall for the next 48 hours. The sea condition has already turned very rough with huge waves along the coast on Saturday. Many beaches have witnessed gigantic tides, where waves reached close to the beach roads. A high-rise retaining wall at Vizag fishing harbour has collapsed due to strong waves that were hitting the coast.
INCOIS cautioned Pedanagayyapalem in Vizianagaram with expected sea surge of 400 metres during the time, Rushikonda Beach with 240m, Chintapalli in Srikakulam with 230m and Atchanna Agraharam in Srikakulam with 240m.
Srikakulam and Vizag started witnessing showers from Saturday evening. Sea surge of 15m to 30m has been witnessed at a few places near S. Rayavaram in Vizag district.
Flights to Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata have been cancelled on Saturday as heavy gales have already started engulfing Vizag city from Friday night onwards.
A geo tube wall near Uppada coast near Kakinada developed cracks at 12 places due to the fury of sea waves on Saturday. The wall was built three years ago at a cost of Rs 12.1 crore, with a distance of 1.6 km to protect villages.
Evacuation poses challenge
Officials are having a hard time evacuating people from the coastal areas in Vizag and Vizianagaram as several people in vulnerable areas do not believe that cyclone Hudhud will strike their homes and refuse to leave their boats and nets and shift to shelters, making the evacuation process challenging.
SI K. Srinivas, who was on duty at Revupolavaram, said people claimed they know the sea condition better and the cyclone can’t wreak havoc. Collector N. Yuvraj said over 75 villages in 11 coastal mandals in Vizag have been identified as vulnerable places.
