First up the week’s biggest story, cyclone, Michaung, and the havoc it has created before, during, and after the landfall. India, Stamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh states bore the brunt of it. Tropical storms blowing in from the Bay of Bengal have grown in frequency in recent years, and Michaung has been a fierce as it gets, take a look.
Cyclone landfall movements at Papatla district on the Andhra Pradesh Coast. It happened finally on Tuesday afternoon. The impact was felt in at least eight other Andhra districts. Torrential rains and wind speeds of over 100 km per hour. A red alert had been sounded in all eight from the morning. Thousands evacuated were moved to shelters the night before. 29 teams of the National Disaster Response Force were deployed in Antra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Telangana, and Purudjary for relief and rescue work for forecast stormy weather. All five dams in Andhra, full to capacity, hit threat mode.
Perhaps the fiercest impact, though, was felt in Chennai City for two, four days before Michaung made landfall. Falling trees and electricity poles, collapsing walls, road accidents, and worse. The local administration, police, and other welfare personnel, volunteer groups, pulled out old stops. Boats worked overtime in residential areas like the worst hit, Krishnanathar, to evacuate trapped people. Several arterio routes too were inundated. Flights and trains in and out canceled, schools and offices shut, communication networks down, massive power cuts, and worse.
For more than 72 hours, a massive rescue operation has been underway in Chennai City and adjoining regions in the aftermath of the damage wreaked and the havoc wreaked by the cyclone, severe cyclonic storm, Mikjom, and the result in Chennai floods that took place after that. To give you some perspective about the rescue operation that’s been underway, the Indian Army alone has rescued more than 3,500 to 4,000 people across parts of Chennai and predominantly across parts of southern Chennai. Let’s also tell you that the Indian Navy is involved in evacuating people via boards. The Indian Coast Guard has been doing the same. And of course, the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Air Force have also been airdropping supplies, essential supplies, including dry food and also water bottles to several areas that have been cut off, several areas that are still facing inundation.
Mishing, meaning Strength or Resilience, had lived up to its Myanmar’s origin name, Albright, in a negative way. In so many ways, the two days turned a nightmare Chennai had not seen in decades, even by its own standards of susceptibility to bad weather. Much has been said on the rising frequency of cyclonic storms forming in the Bay of Bengal. Cyclone, Hamun, in October had hit India’s East and Northeast. And Moka in May this year made landfall on the Myanmar Coast. The fury of the sea ensuring at regular intervals that its might is recognized and feared.
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