ONGOLE: Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu, which made landfall near the Ongole coast, brought normal life to a standstill in Prakasam district on Tuesday, with high-speed winds and heavy rain forcing people indoors. One person died when an iron-sheet-roofed shed collapsed in Uppugunduru village.
Gales of 100-120 kmph uprooted trees and damaged electricity poles, disrupting power supply across the district from the wee hours of Tuesday.
Kothapatnam, Naguluppalapadu, Ongole city and rural areas, Maddipadu, Chimakurthy, Santhanuthalapadu, Tangutur and Jarugumalli received heavy rainfall. Collector Rajababu monitored the situation and relief measures from the Collectorate Command Control Centre. The cyclone also delayed vote counting for Ongole Municipal Corporation, Addanki Municipality and Chimakurthy Municipality.
Officials postponed counting from 8 am to 11.30 am and then to 1 pm. Following State Election Commission permission, counting began at the RISE Engineering College centre in Ongole.
Preliminary estimates put damage to APCPDCL’s Ongole Circle infrastructure at `3 crore. Nearly 1,200-1,300 electricity poles, around 200 transformers and other equipment suffered damage. APCPDCL officers, 200 staff members, SDRF teams and locals restored power to most areas by Tuesday, though many localities remained without electricity.
Heavy waterlogging affected Kurnool Road, the RTC bus stand junction and low-lying areas, including Sivaprasad Colony, Rajiv Nagar Extension, HB Colony, Mamidipalem, Mangamuru Road and Balaram Colony. Flooding disrupted traffic on the Ongole-Addanki road near Bodduvanipalem, while a swollen stream halted movement on the Addanki-Reningavaram route.
Local Arya Vysya leaders served food and water to passengers. Authorities arranged rehabilitation facilities at all 72 cyclone shelters.