Cyclone Fanoos is not a threat anymore. It has lost speed, and though it brought rains, they were not the kind witnessed by Tamil Nadu over the last few weeks. IBN Correspondent VeeraraghavM was at T S Puram, which was in the cyclone's path.
Chennai:
T S Puram village was marooned for 10 days in the floods that hit Cuddalore three weeks ago and Pitchai and her six-month-old baby had to stay in their submerged house for more than a week.
Cyclone Fanoos was something that she and others in the village just couldn't afford.
On Saturday, as rains began, they were worried but at the end of the day when they heard that cyclone Fanoos did not have the predicted strength, Pitchai and others were relieved.
Across Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, close to 40,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas and fire service personnel were posted in remote villages like T S Puram with the administration prepared for the worst.
While the deep depression has crossed the coast in Southern Tamil Nadu, the Met office has predicted sporadic rainfall and authorities say they're still on an alert.
The only districts that experienced heavy rains were Ramnathpuram and Tuticorin and the forecast now continues to be cloudy skies and moderate-to-heavy rainfall in all coastal areas of Tamil Nadu.
Fanoos, which has been threatening Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry for three days, crossed the Tamil Nadu coast at Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district at 1100 (IST) hours.
Much to the relief of an overwrought state administration, Fanoos passed through the coast without causing any damage.
"Squally weather with wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph is still likely along and off Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry coast during the next 24 hours", Director of Area Cyclone Warning centre, Chennai, S R Ramanansaid said while advising fishermen not to venture into the sea for one more day.
This is the second cyclone storm, after Cyclone Baaz, in Tamil Nadu. Baaz had created panic for several days before it fizzled into moderate rainfall.
Rains with strong winds had been lashing parts of north coastal Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry since Friday night. Chennai has been experiencing continuous drizzle.
Vedaranyam and Thanjavur recorded a rainfall of 70 mm each, followed by Nagapattinam 40 mm, Tiruthuraipoondi 30 mm, Mayiladuthurai 29 mm and Tiruvarur 18 mm, a report from Thanjavur said.
The Cuddalore district, which was heavily battered by earlier spells of rains, as being lashed by incessant rains since last night.
As the sea was rough, fishermen in Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts stayed away from the waters.
PAGE_BREAK
Officials said, over one lakh residents have been evacuated from the Cuddalore district.
A red alert has been sounded in all the 51 coastal hamlets situated along the 57-km-long coastline in the district. 15 medical teams have also been kept on stand by.
In Pondicherry, the state administration is all geared up, says Chief Minister N Rangasamy.
PWD, police, fire service and health were on high alert, says Rangasamy. The disctrict administration has specially advised the fishermen to move to safer places with their boats.
People living in thatched huts have been advised to move to schools and marriage halls.
All schools and colleges have also been closed in Pondicherry.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has cancelled his proposed one-day visit to Tamil Nadu to tour the flood affected
areas in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts.
Officials said that the PM's visit was cancelled in view of the new cyclone warning.
Comments
0 comment