Cyclone Hudhud puts Vizag and Gopalpur on High Alert

Even as the Odisha Government has cancelled the holidays of all government officials and put 16 districts in the state on high alert, the Cyclone Hudhud has taken the shape of a cyclonic storm now. It would intensify further to become a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours. In the subsequent 36 hours, it would turn into a very severe cyclonic storm and cross the north Andhra Pradesh and South Odisha coasts between Vizag and Gopalpur.

The Cyclone Hudhud will hit any area between Vizag and Gopalpur around noon of 12th October 2014. On the same day in 2013, Cyclone Phailin had hit Gopalpur, triggering heavy damage across Ganjam district and other parts of Odisha.

The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Fire Services and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been put on standby to handle any crisis arisen out of the cyclone, if it hits Odisha Coast.

The Cyclone has already triggered panic across the state with potatoes and candles doing a vanishing act from the market. They are being sold at a high price at some places. The potato crisis has gripped Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, leading to strong resentment among the common people.