Cyclone Hudhud
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Hudhud brought heavy rain and powerful winds in eastern India and snowstorms in Nepal in October 2014. Hudhud originated from a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal and strengthened into a cyclone on October 8, receiving the name Hudhud. It made its first landfall on Long Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, re-emerging into the Bay of Bengal on 9 October. Amid favorable conditions, Hudhud underwent rapid intensification, making landfall on Visakhapatnam on 12 October at peak intensity, with a central pressure of. Over land, Hudhud weakened, becoming a low-pressure area again over Uttar Pradesh on 14 October. It then merged with a trough over the Himalayas.
During Hudhud's landfall, strong winds shattered glass, uprooted trees and poles, and threw debris across roads. In Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, 730,000 residents were moved to relief camps or shelters following the cyclone, and thousands of homes and crops suffered damage. In Nepal, Hudhud's remnants caused 2014 [Nepal snowstorm disaster|a snowstorm disaster] which killed 43 and injured hundreds more, with most of the casualties coming from Mount Annapurna.
In the aftermath of Hudhud, special response forces mounted relief efforts across the affected states, with the state governments of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha requesting a combined total of in aid. A joint military operation named Lehar, led by the Indian Navy, saw various branches of the military deploying and readying response teams and vehicles. Hudhud caused a combined total of 116 deaths and $11 billion in damage across India and Nepal.
Meteorological history
On 6 October, the India Meteorological Department began tracking a low-pressure area that formed over the Gulf of Thailand as a result of a cyclonic circulation. On 7 October, the low-pressure area strengthened into a depression over the northern Andaman Sea. It further strengthened into a deep depression later that day as it moved westwards. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center also began tracking the system on 8 October, designating it as tropical cyclone 03B. Later that day, it strengthened into Cyclonic Storm Hudhud before making its first landfall on Long Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Hudhud continued intensifying as it emerged into the eastern Bay of Bengal on 9 October and intensified into a severe cyclonic storm later that day with a minimum three-minute sustained central pressure of. Increased curved banding was also noted that day.On 10 October, Hudhud strengthened into a very severe cyclonic storm with a three-minute sustained central pressure of. Early on October 11, Hudhud entered the radar range of Visakhapatnam while continuing to move northwestwards toward the coast of Andhra Pradesh. Curved banding increased and the appearance of an eye was noted. Amid favorable conditions that day, Hudhud underwent rapid intensification, with a clearly visible eye as it approached northern Andhra Pradesh. Operationally, its central pressure at peak intensity was assessed by the IMD as. In the post-cyclone report, it was reanalyzed to. It maintained its intensity as it stalled southeast of Visakhapatnam. Hudhud made its second and final landfall near Visakhapatnam at peak intensity during the afternoon of 12 October.
After moving over land, Hudhud weakened into a severe cyclonic storm and then a cyclonic storm northwest of Visakhapatnam. It weakened into a deep depression the following day over southern Chhattisgarh. It further weakened into a depression that evening over central Chhattisgarh and persisted northward, degenerating into a low pressure area on 14 October over eastern Uttar Pradesh. The weakening remnants of Hudhud then merged with an upper-level trough, resulting in an interaction over the Himalayas which produced a heavy amount of moisture.
Preparations
On 9 October, the IMD placed areas of northern Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha under a heavy rainfall warning. Across both states, 44 National Disaster Response Force teams and eight rescue teams were mobilized. Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed readiness and response efforts with high-ranking officials in a meeting on 11 October. In Odisha, district officials were told to prepare kitchens and store dry food supplies. 10 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams were sent out and preparations were made to evacuate those living in unsafe houses. Panic buying also occurred in the state on 8 October. Emergency response teams were mobilized to railways and Indian Railways considered rerouting or cancelling 75 trains in the South Central Railway zone. In Andhra Pradesh, 111,000 people living in coastal districts were evacuated, 370 relief camps were readied, and two months' worth of food was stocked.Impact
India
Andhra Pradesh
Strong winds left glass broken and debris strewn across roads in Visakhapatnam. 70 per cent of the city's trees were destroyed. Storm surge of was observed there, which wore down parts of the city's shoreline. In Gantyada, of rain fell in the span of 24 hours on 12-13 October, the highest in the state. Visakhapatnam Airport was damaged due to the cyclone, with a runway being flooded. All flights from the airport had been suspended beforehand.The campus of Andhra University sustained widespread destruction; the roofs of all 16 canteens were stripped and the walls of six structures gave way. Offices inside the buildings were irreparably destroyed and large amounts of trees—estimated to be more than 90 per cent of the ones on the campus—were felled. Lab instruments and kitchen utensils were ruined. Damage was assessed to be near. Some residents traveling on highways were extricated by local police and NDRF members after getting trapped in their vehicles; the eye passed over National Highway 9. 27,000 electric poles and thousands of transformers and substations were damaged in the state. Fishing boats and nets were lost. The cyclone caused 46 deaths and 43 injuries in Andhra Pradesh. 2,831 animals also died.