There are many theories as to the meaning of `Hudhud`; as far as Vizagites are concerned, they do not matter. To them, Hudhud means devastation and destruction. For decades, having seen numerous cyclones veer at the last moment before making landfall either Northward toward Orissa or hitting the Southern part of Andhra, Vizagites were lulled into a sense of complacency. It is now clear that the belief that nothing of this sort would ever happen to Vizag because of the three places of worship on the hills at the entrance to the harbour `the mosque, the temple and the church` was nothing but a fanciful theory and wishful thinking. Hudhud hit hard and fast. Even old timers of Vizag admitted to never having seen anything like this. Figures such as 200 km per hour which normally do not make sense, were understood better when doors flew like kites. In less than 24 hours the beautiful city of Vizag looked like something out of science fiction movie. While it had its comic moments as when a person found a bathtub on his lawn, to most people it was terror and losses. Fortunately, the administration took things seriously which seems to have limited the damage and for once, everyone is thankful for what they otherwise term `media hype`. The next time we watch the after-effects of a storm on TV, we Vizagites are sure to empathise with those unfortunate people. The debris will be cleared, power restored, broken walls mended, physical hurt healed, but the mental scars will remain for a long time to come. The 12th of October 2014 is a date that will not be forgotten soon by the citizens of Vizag.

Scenes of Shattered Vizag after Hudhud Cyclone