Cyclone Hudhud: How You Can Stay Safe; Helpline Numbers

With just two days to go before the severe cyclonic storm Cyclone Hudhud lashes at the Andhra Pradesh coast on Sunday, it is necessary to keep a list of emergency numbers and precautionary mesaures to stay safe till the storm passes.

The India Metereological Department has several tips for 'Dos and Don'ts' to follow before and during a cyclone:

You can follow LIVE COVERAGE of CYCLONE HUDHUD here.

DOs

• Check houses, secure loose tiles by cementing wherever necessary, repair doors and windows.
• Check the area around the house. Remove dead or dying trees, anchor removable objects like lumber piles, loose bricks, garbage cans, sign-boards, loose zinc sheets etc.
• Keep some wooden boards ready so that glass windows can be boarded.
• If you do not have wooden boards handy, paste paper strips on glasses to prevent splinters flying into the house.
• Keep a hurricane Lantern filled with kerosene, flash light and enough dry cells and keep them handy.
• Those who have radio sets should ensure that the radio is fully serviceable. In the case of transistors an extra set of batteries should be kept handy.
• Keep your radio on and listen to latest weather warnings and advisories from the nearest AIR station. Pass the information to others.
• Pass only the official information you have got from the radio to others.
• Get away from low lying beaches or other locations which may be swept by high tides or storm waves. Leave sufficiently early before your way to high ground gets flooded. Do not delay and run the risk of being marooned.
• If your house is out of danger from high tides and flooding from the river, and it is well built, it is then probably the best place. However, please act promptly if asked to evacuate.
• Be alert for high water in areas where streams of rivers may flood due to heavy rains.
• Get extra food, especially things which can be eaten without cooking or with very little preparation. Store extra drinking water in suitably covered vessel.
• If you are in one of the evacuation areas, move your valuable articles to upper floors to minimise flood damage
• Check on everything that might blow away or be torn loose. Kerosene tins, cans, agricultural implements, garden tools, road signs and other objects become weapon of destruction in strong winds. Remove them and store them in a covered room.
• Be sure that a window or door can be opened on the lee side of the house i.e. the side opposite the one facing the wind.
• Make provisions for children and adults requiring special diets.
• If the centre of' 'eye' of the storm passes directly over your place, there will be a lull in the wind and rain, lasting for half an hour or more. During this period stay in safe place. Make emergency repairs during the lull period if necessary, but remember that strong wind will return suddenly from the opposite direction, frequently with even greater violence.
• Be calm. Your ability to meet emergency will inspire and help others.
• You should remain in shelters until informed by those in charge that you may return home.
• Any loose and dangling wire from the lamp post should be strictly avoided.
• People should keep away from disaster areas unless you are required to assist.
• Anti-social elements should be prevented from doing mischief and reported to the police.
• Cars, buses, lorries and carts should be driven carefully.
• The houses and dwellings should be cleared of debris
• The losses should be reported to the appropriate authorities.
• Relatives should be promptly informed about the safety of persons in the disaster area.

Don'ts

• Avoid being misled by rumours.
• Don't leave shelters until informed by the rescue personals.
• Don't leave the safer place during lull, however minor repairs can be carried out.
• Don't touch loose and dangling wires from lamp post, it may have electric current.

HELPLINE NUMBERS:

Andhra Pradesh:

Guntur District collector Kantilal Dande has made the following emergency numbers available for help during the cyclone - 0863-2234070/2234301 and 9849904019 phone numbers of the control room.

Source – Deccan Chronicle

Odisha:

ODISHA DISTRICT CONTROL ROOMS for Cyclone -Odisha

• Mayurbhanj 06792-252759
• Jajpur 06728-222648
• Gajapati 06815-222943
• Dhenkanal 06762-221376
• Khurda 06755-220002
• Keonjhar 06766-255437
• Cuttack 0671-2507842
• Ganjam 06811-263978
• Puri 06752-223237
• Kendrapara 06727-232803
• Jagatsinghpur 06724-220368
• Balasore 06782-26267
• Bhadrak 06784-251881

Source: eOdisha.org

HUDHUD HELPLINE NUMBERS Andhra Pradesh

— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi)