* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Alert  

India

Cyclone ‘Thane’ hits Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh coastal areas

 

Geneva, 31 December 2011

 

1.        Brief description of the emergency

A very severe cyclonic storm, 'Thane', hit the Tamil Nadu coast on Friday 30 December 2011 leaving 33 people[1] dead and causing extensive damage to Cuddalore and the neighbouring union territory of Puduchery which remained cut-off from the nearby districts of the state. Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds also lashed south coastal Andhra and Chittoor district of Rayalaseema region under the impact of cyclone Thane.

"Under the influence of this system, rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places would occur over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during next 12 hours and over north interior Tamil Nadu during next 24 hours," reported an Indian weather bulletin on Friday 30 December 2011. Further, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur over south coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 12 hours and over Rayalseema, north Kerala and south Karnataka during the next 24 hours.

2.        Impact

Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu is the most affected, with damaged roads rendering it difficult for rescue teams including those from the National Disaster Response Force, and the Fire and Rescue Services to reach the cyclone hit fishing hamlets. The exact number of the dead is to be confirmed.  The daily normal life of people are affected and the poor people are the worst affected.

Train services from southern Tamil Nadu were hit as many of them ran late or were stopped in the nearby station while flights to international destinations by private carriers including to Kuwait and Malaysia from Chennai were cancelled. Communication lines remained affected, and over 5000 houses of fishermen had been damaged. Authorities have declared a holiday for all educational institutions and have evacuated people from some coastal and low-lying villages.

3.        National and international response 

Tamil Nadu government and Andhra Pradesh government instructed India Administrative Services (IAS) officers to closely monitor the cyclonic storm situation. No international agencies have so far responded to this flood relief response. 

4.        ACT Alliance response  and planned activities

Staff of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (UELCI) along with the member churches staff are closely monitoring the cyclonic storm situation in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh area. UELCI is in communication with other ACT members in India among them the Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) and Lutheran World Service India Trust (LWSIT) as well as other ACT Alliance members in India either to respond through the ACT Rapid Response Fund (RRF) mechanism or to issue an ACT appeal.

 

Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jean-Daniel Birmele, ACT Chief Finance Officer (Jean_Daniel.Birmele@actalliance.org).