The very severe cyclone, Titli, which crossed the coast near Palasa in Srikakulam district in the early hours of Thursday (at around 5 a.m), left a trail of destruction in Srikakulam district but the other two north-coastal districts - Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam - remained largely unaffected. The cyclone also caused extensive damage in the neighbouring districts of Odisha.
Till now, eight deaths were reported from the cyclone-hit area - five from Srikakulam district and three from Vizianagaram district. Train services on the Khurda Road - Vizianagaram section were stopped. Several trains passing through the cyclone-hit area in AP and Odisha were either diverted or cancelled. Visakhapatnam airport remained unaffected but a few flights were cancelled by a private airline as a precautionary measure.
Communications to Srikakulam and within the district were disrupted and bus services were stopped due to the cyclone. The district was battered by heavy rains and high-speed winds. Several villages in the affected areas were cut off. NDRF teams were deployed in the district to rescue and help the affected people. Large-scale damage to crops, especially coconut and cashew, was reported from the district.
According to the authorities of the Cyclone Warning Centre here, the cyclone intensity may abate by Thursday night or Friday morning. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, likely to visit the area late on Thursday or Friday, instructed the officials to restore normality in the district as quickly as possible.