Cyclonic storm 'Helen' packing a wind speed reaching up to 120 kmph is expected to cross close to Ongole in Andhra Pradesh tomorrow afternoon. Four south coastal districts are bracing for the storm which lay centred in west central Bay of Bengal at about 290 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam and 430 km east of Kavali. According to the Indian Meteorological Department its intensity would be much less than cyclone Phailin.The system remained practically stationary and is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours.
Our Correspondent reports that six NDRF teams have been deployed to handle rescue and relief operations. Our correspondent reports that under its influence, rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places would occur over coastal Andhra Pradesh with isolated extremely heavy falls over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and adjoining north Tamil Nadu during next 48 hours.Chief Minister, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy yesterday reviewed the situation with the Chief Secretary and other senior officials over the impending cyclonic storm. The Prakasam district administration is all geared up to face the cyclonic storm set to cross the coast. Tahsildars and Special Officers in the 11 coastal mandals were placed on high alert and asked to store essential commodities, drinking water and medicines in advance.About 52 villages in Nellore and low-lying villages in 11 mandals of Prakasam have been identified as vulnerable. Special teams of Police, Panchayat Raj and Revenue officials have been constituted to be present in these areas for taking up relief measures in emergency.Evacuation from the low-lying areas in these districts already began yesterday.Six teams of National Disaster
Response Force (NDRF) are deployed in the four south coastal districts as the cyclone is expected to cross the coast. A helicopter has been kept ready in Nellore as an emergency measure. A control room was opened in the Secretariat at Hyderabad with phone numbers 040-23456005 and 23451043 while control rooms with toll-free numbers started functioning in the coastal districts. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. Danger signals kept hoisted in all major ports in the state.
