VISAKHAPATNAM: Nearly 150 trees were uprooted and several electric and communication poles fell as gales accompanied by rains wreaked havoc in Vizag on Monday. While the Met department forecast heavy rain in north Telangana and north coastal Andhra in the next 48 hours, Navipet in Nizamabad district recorded 15 cm rainfall.
Heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds crippled normal life in the port city in the evening as hundreds of trees, electric poles, hoardings, flexi boards, cable lines and wires fell on the roads disrupting traffic movement.
The cement poles were uprooted as winds at 50-55 kmph hit several areas in the city. An electrical pole fell on an auto at Akkayyapalem while at Dwarakanagar, a huge tree fell on a moving car. Luckily, no one was injured in both the incidents. Scores of trees fell at Railway New Colony, Dwarakanagar, Gnanapuram, MVP Colony, Abidnagar, Santhinagar and Seetampeta. Big hoardings too fell from atop the buildings at several places.
Many low-lying areas were inundated as rain water entered houses. Though the impact of the rain was less, the gales caused maximum damage as the civic authorities could do little. Vehicular traffic on national highway-5, which passes through the city, came to a grinding halt due to strong winds and heavy rain. The power officials cut off supply for nearly one hour as a precautionary measure. Though the rains brought respite from the heat, the strong winds affected normal life as people ran for cover.
In Nizamabad and Adilabad districts, crops in hundreds of acres were inundated. In Bilal village, Bodhan mandal of Nizamabad, a daily wager Santhu went missing in the swirling waters of a stream. Officials launched a search operation for Santhu who was reportedly washed away in the waters. Several streams developed breaches as rain water overflowed on to the roads and inundated the crops.
Many places in Telangana received heavy rains in the past 24 hours. Bodhan recorded 13 cm, followed by Manchiryal (Adilabad) 9, Mednoor (Nizamabad) 8, Khanapur (Adilabad) 7, Mudhole (Adilabad) and Nirmal (Adilabad) 6 each, Makthal (Mahbubnagar), Armoor (Nizamabad), Asifabad (Adilabad) and Metpalli (Karimnagar) 5 cm each.
