Laila Hits Coastal Andhra

Heavy rain with strong storm lashed coastal Andhra region, authorities began evacuating people from low-lying areas of cyclone storm Laila intensified further, and towards the coast.

A high alert has been sounded in all the nine coastal districts, while rescue teams from National Disaster Response force (NDRF) has reached the areas that may meet anger cyclonic storm.

The storm named Laila is safe to cross Andhra coast Thursday morning between Visakhapatnam and Ongole, said the Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre.

Strong winds with speeds of 65 70 km per hour were whipping the area since Tuesday night, clearing trees and damage to electrical and communications towers in some areas, officials said.

Development Vijayanagaram, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, and Guntur get heavy rains since Wednesday morning. Some places had five to 10 cm rainfall.

A report from Cuddalore said three fishermen in Devanampattinam missing after they ventured into the sea in a boat fibers recent afternoon. Search operations could not be implemented immediately because of high tides and very rough seas, officials said.

In another episode, injured four fishermen after five boat capsized when they were going to land in Cuddalore district, they said.

The Met Office said Laila, who was over southwest and adjoining West Central Bay of Bengal moved north-west, and now was centered about 190 miles east-northeast of Chennai.

"Laila" can take A.P. coast Thursday

In several places in Andhra Pradesh began experiencing heavy rains in the wake of the severe cyclonic storm, named as "Laila", which was in the Bay of Bengal, about 180 km off the coast Chennai on Wednesday morning.

Met department officials said cyclonic storm was moving in a north westerly direction towards Andhra Pradesh and could cross the coast somewhere between Ongole and Visakhapatnam on Thursday morning. That it is increasingly against countries seen from the fact that storm, which was 550 km off the coast at 5:30 Tuesday, had moved much closer.

7 danger signal has been hoisted at all ports in Andhra Pradesh and fishermen strongly warned against entering the sea. Revenue officials started to evacuate people from villages significantly vulnerable to flooding by high waves and heavy rain. So far, ten people were killed due to collapse of washing, or after being struck by lightning.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah had a meeting with his Cabinet at 11, when ministers are expected to undertake a thorough review of the preparedness of the administrative machinery to meet any situation. Several teams of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), equipped with boats and other rescue equipment was located in coastal areas.

In Anantapur district, 150 electric poles collapsed massive disruption in electricity supply in villages in Atmakur Mandal, while 40 boats were damaged in Bheemunipatnam near Visakhapatnam. All seven fishermen were reported missing in Nellore and East Godavari districts back home safely, but the whereabouts of four other fishermen Prakasam district and two others in Krishna district was not known.

Heavy rain accompanied by strong wind is lashing several parts of Nellore district since Wednesday morning. The district has received an average rainfall of 10.5 mm, while the situation was turning for the worse in several villages along the coast. Trees were uprooted and power interrupted several places.

Roads were flooded in Nellore, Gudur, Kavalier and other cities that it was a steady rain.Electric cables snapped in several places and fell on the roads cause traffic disruption.