According to the weather bulletins, Cyclone ‘Gaja’ has crossed the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam, with wind speed gusting up to 120 km per hour.
Overnight rainfall damaged the houses in Nagapattinam. Also many trees were uprooted because of the strong winds.
Educational institutions in Nagapattinam remained shut for Friday.The Southern Railway cancelled four trains, including three from Chennai to Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts. Four express trains bound for southern districts were diverted. Trains bound for Rameswaram had been stopped at Manamadurai.
According to the authorities, 2 naval ships equipped with divers, helicopters and inflatable boats were sent to provide relief and humanitarian aid to the affected areas. 4 teams each from the National Disaster Relief Force(NDRF) and Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority are working in Nagapattinam.
According to Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, around 76,290 people have been evacuated from low lying areas and sheltered at over 300 relief centres in six districts including Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvarur.