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Meteorological
history
Storm path
In the early hours of October 27,
the India
Meteorological Department's Regional
Specialized Meteorological Centre in New Delhi started to monitor an area of low
pressure, that had developed in south central Bay of Bengal.[3] The next day, the system intensified
into a Depression about 550 km (340 mi) to the northeast of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. The IMD officially designated it with
BOB 02.[4] During that day the depression moved
towards the west and gradually developed further with deep convection
surrounding the system becoming better organized.[5] The Joint Typhoon
Warning Centre also noted that deep convection was building over a
cloud-covered low level circulation center
and issued a Tropical
Cyclone Formation Alert.[6] Early the next day, RSMC New Delhi
reported that the depression had intensified into a Deep Depression, before
later that day the JTWC started to monitor the system as Tropical Cyclone 02B
with windspeeds equivalent to a tropical storm on the Saffir–Simpson
Hurricane Scale.[7] Early on October 30, RSMC New Delhi
reported that the system had intensified into a Cyclonic Storm and named it as
Nilam while it was located about 100 km (60 mi) to the northeast of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.[8]
During that day, Nilam moved towards
the northwest, while continuing to develop further. Early the next day, the
JTWC reported that Nilam had reached its 1-minute peak windspeeds of
100 km/h (60 mph), while RSMC New Delhi reported 3-minute peak
sustained windspeeds of 85 km/h (55 mph). Nilam continued to track
northwestward under the influence of a low to mid-level subtropical ridge.[9] Later that day the system made landfall
on the Indian Coast near Mahabalipuram,[10] before the JTWC issued its final
advisory on Nilam as it started to rapidly weaken into a depression over land.[11] In the early hours of November 1st,
Nilam weakened into a Deep Depression.[12] As it moved further inland into the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, Nilam
further weakened into a Depression.[13]
Preparations
and impact
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Total Deaths and Damage
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|||
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Region
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Deaths
|
Damage
|
Source
|
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Sri Lanka
|
5
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N/A
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|
|
Tamil Nadu
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8
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N/A
|
|
|
Andhra Pradesh
|
3
|
N/A
|
|
|
Total
|
16
|
N/A
|
|
Sri
Lanka
The storm brought torrential rains
to Sri Lanka. The Puttalam - Mannar road has come under about a meter of water
near Eluwankulama due to the overflowing of the Kala Oya river. A 27-year-old
woman was killed when a sand rock fell on her house during heavy rains at Habaraduwa in Galle District, according to the police. Rail
services were temporarily suspended when electricity lines fell on the railway
track.[18] Overall, 4,627 people were reportedly
displaced due to the flooding and 56 people have left their homes in fear of
landslides. The nation's Disaster Management Center said that about 1,000
houses were damaged by the storm.[19]
India
Tamil
Nadu
More than 3000 people were evacuated
around Mahabalipuram in the
wake of the storm. Schools and colleges in Chennai have been closed till 1
November, and 282 schools have been converted into relief centers. Government
offices and private organizations closed their operatins by 3 pm to ease
traffic congestion. Cyclone shelters had been arranged in Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts. Mahabalipuram faced power
outages and 90 trees were uprooted and two huts were damaged.[20] The Chennai Port sounded a 'Danger 7'
alarm and has sent off ships to outer sea to minimize damage when the storm
makes landfall. Kalpakkam Atomic Power
Station officials stated that vigil was being maintained on all important
equipment, and the reactors are made to withstand winds up to 160 km/h.[21] The oil tanker MT Pratibha Cauvery ran
aground near Chennai after drifting into the storm. One crew member is reported
to be killed, with 6 others missing. 16 crew members have reportedly escaped.[22] The state government later declared a
holiday for all schools and colleges of coastal districts.[23] 8 people have reported to be killed
due to the effects of the cyclone within Tamil Nadu.[24] In Chennai's Marina Beach, strong winds pushed piles of sand
ashore and seawater reached nearly a 100 meters inland. Schools and Colleges in
they city remained closed for a third consecutive day.[25] Floodwater totally inundated 51486
hectares of directly sown farmland and 13421 hectares of transplanted farmland;
and partially submerged 4404 hectares of directly sown area and 12189 hectares
of transplanted area. During the storm, 3150 people were evacuated and kept in
cyclone shelters at Thalainayar and Keezhaiyur. Among the evacuees, 2100 people were
from Pirinchamoolai, Vandal and Gundooranvellir
villages and were taken to community halls. The rest of the people were taken
to the Thalainayar Government Higher Secondary School in Thalainayar. Some 54
km of municipality roads and 23 km of town panchayat roads were damaged by the
rains.[26]
Andhra
Pradesh
During the storm, 150,000 people
were shifted to cyclone shelters in Nellore district. Along with Nellore, Chittoor district also saw very heavy rainfall.[19] Severe flooding in Prakasham district
blocked a highway and strong winds overturned a major truck. Several villages
and towns in southern coastal Andhra Pradesh were flooded and heavy rains were
also reported in Visakhapatnam, a major
city in north Coastal Andhra.[27] About 140 fishermen who all headed off
a week ago, were reported to have been stranded off the Nellore coast. They were later on able to
establish contact with their families and the Coast Guard successfully tried to
rescue them.[28] 3 were reportedly killed in Andhra
Pradesh.[29] On November 1st, more than 200 boats
ran aground due to strong winds. TV9, a Telugu news channel reported that people in
Nellore district continued to suffer from the effects of the storm even after
landfall, due to lack of information regarding the cyclone.[30] The Kandaleru-Poondi part of the Telugu Ganga project
near Gudur, reportedly overflowed cutting
transportation across the river.[31] Several villages in and around Ongole were inundated by floodwater. Several poor in coastal
villages who depended only on fishing had lost access to food and clean
drinking water as fishing was prohibited for over three days. TV9 reported that
over 12,000 poor had remained hungry over the past three days and no government
official had visited the storm affected villages despite the prolonged shortage
of food and lack of electricity. Severe flooding had blocked transportation
between Ongole and the villages, stranding the villagers.[32]
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