12 Hours in Darkness: Gale Havoc Disrupts Power Supply in Kurnool, Nandyal
Officials estimate that over 2,000 large trees were uprooted across the affected regions
Kurnool: Residents of Kurnool and Nandyal districts endured a night of misery as unprecedented gale winds coupled with heavy rain wreaked havoc, leaving large swathes without power for nearly 12 hours.
The storm, which began around 7.30 pm on Saturday in Kurnool, continued relentlessly past midnight, causing widespread destruction in Kurnool town, Nandyal, Emmiganur and Adoni. Several localities, including Ashok Nagar, Amma Hospital area, Bellary Bypass, Orvakal Road and Joharapuram, witnessed severe damage.
Officials estimate that over 2,000 large trees were uprooted across the affected regions. The strong winds also caused extensive damage to power infrastructure, with nearly 500 electricity poles reportedly collapsing across the two districts. Power supply, which was disrupted around 7 pm, was restored only by 6 am in some areas, while others remained without electricity until 10 am.
The prolonged outage, coupled with humid weather conditions, left residents struggling through the night. In several apartment complexes, water shortages added to the hardship as residents were unable to operate motors due to the lack of electricity.
Tragedy struck in Kurnool town when a fallen electric pole crushed an autorickshaw, killing one person. Meanwhile, unseasonal rains caused significant damage to horticulture crops, including mango, banana and papaya plantations, officials said.
According to the Meteorological Department, Kurnool recorded the highest rainfall of 20 mm during the storm.