Comparison of Two Cyclones - Hudhud and Vardha

IMD Data

Tropical Cyclone Hudhud Tropical Cyclone Vardha

Brief Description of Cyclone Brief Description of Cyclone

HUDHUD a Very Severe Cyclone (07 October to Vardha a Very Severe Cyclone (06 to 13
14 October 2014) reached highest wind speed of
December 2016) originated as a low pressure
(100 Knots) 185 Kms/hour at the landfall at area in south Andaman sea adjoining Sumatra on
Visakhapatnam & therefore it is a Zone 2 04 October 2016 and intensified into a
(Category 3) cyclone. In 1985 a cyclone of same
Depression on 06 December 2016. It further
speed had a landfall at Visakhapatnam on theintensified in to a Deep Depression on 07
same day as this cyclone. December 2016, then in to a Cyclonic Storm on
08 December 2016, a Severe Cyclonic Storm on
Wind speed - 185 Kms./hour - ESCS on IMD 09 December 2016 and a Very Severe Cyclonic
Scale, Category 3 cyclone on Saffir-Simpson Storm while on the sea. But it weakened in to
Scale Severe Cyclonic Storm before the landfall and
crossed Tamil Nadu coast near Chennai between
0930 to 1130 UTC. Reached wind speeds of 110
Kms./hour with Gust speeds of 125 kms./hour.

Wind speed - 110 Kms./hour - SCS on IMD Scale,

Nil on Saffir Simpson Scale

Rainfall Rainfall

In Odisaha and coastal Andhra Pradesh rainfall This Cyclone Vardha caused Heavy rainfall
exceeded 7 cms to 45 cms. in 24 hours. In the between 20 to 38 cms in Chennai, coastal Tamil
inner circle of the cyclone rainfall of 16cms/day Nadu and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.
and above occurred while in outer region the
rainfall was 2 to 16 cms.

Storm Surge Storm Surge

Storm Surge of 1.4 meters above the There was a Storm Surge of 1 meter in height
astronomical tide level was recorded at above normal tide level at the landfall and
Visakhapatnam port. However no inundation by inundated low lying areas near landfall in Tamil
sea water nor damages were reported. Nadu and in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.
IIB Report on Flood & Cyclone Insured Loss

Area Affected by Cyclone Area Affected by Cyclone

Andhra Pradesh State - Incurred Claims 9.60 %. Tamil Nadu State - Incurred claims 9.7%
Occupancies Occupancies

15 types of occupancies reported claims 15 types of occupancies reported claims.

Observations
1) The claim amount paid in Hudhud cyclone is ten times that was paid in Vardha. This is expected
with Vardha which was SCS (Category Nil) Cyclone with wind speed of 110 Kms./hour. Most of the

2) In case of a SuCS or Category 5 cyclone hitting Visakhapatnam again claims may exceed 5 to 10 3)
It appears that Insurance penetration is low in this area for STFI perils or claims of high sum insured
risks are not reported by Insurers. For example roof of Visakhapatnam airport was damaged as can
be seen from pictures given in the IMD report or it is possible that this airport may not have been
insured for STFI perils. Also it appears that another major industry Visakhapatnam steel plant may
not be in the claim list. Visakhapatnam is well developed and must be having many industrial units
whose claims may not have been reported or they are not covering STFI perils.

4) No PLRI ratios are given for cyclones. It is therefore not known whether premiums collected are
adequate to cover losses paid.

5) Damage ratios given in graph 39 (page 50) are presumed to be for Cyclones since it talks about
East Coast and West Coast only. The ratio is claim paid/Rs. 100 of Sum Insured. It gives an highest 6)
NDRF map of India which gives flood areas by cyclones is very useful as the report also gives pin
codes where there can be cyclone induced floods. What NDRF says that flooding due to cyclone
covers area up to 100 Kms. from the coast is by & large true since the cyclone maintains its strength
up to 100 Kms. inland and thereafter due to land friction it gets weakened quickly. There are
however exceptions where on cyclone maintained its strength over land over considerable distance.
Also 1964 Rameshwaram cyclone crossed whole of Sri Lanka with full fury, emerged in to the sea
and hit Dhanushcodi and Rameshwaram with storm surge that washed away whole train, bridge and
killing all people.