Ongole experienced heavy rains under the influence of Cyclone 'Laila' which lay centered in Bay of Bengal at about 120 km northeast of Nellore on Thursday.
Ongole town experienced a record rainfall of 13 cm. Heavy rains accompanied by gale winds touching 110 to 115 kmph caused extensive damage uprooting many trees and snapping of the electrical wires. Hundreds of electric poles were razed to the ground due to the gale winds.
The Simhapuri Express proceeding to Gudur from Secunderabad was detained at Ongole. The Yeshwantapur Express was halted at Ulavapadu. Several trains were cancelled . Hundreds of acres of mango crop has been destroyed due the gale winds.
Many areas in and around Ongole were plunged into a darkness.Hundreds of people have already been evacuated while some more are shifting to safer places on their own from the low-lying areas.
The situation turned grim as a major part of Ongole is already submerged in water. Experts fear the cyclone would have a crippling impact on the people of Prakasam district, as the rains have already destroyed the standing crop of rice, banana and mangoes over hundreds of acres in the district.