Impact of the Tropical Cyclonic Storm ‘Hudhud’ on Northeast Coastal Waters of Visakhapatnam

Abstract

Large-scale tropical cyclones, such as tropical storms and hurricanes, can generate both short and long-term disturbances in estuarine systems. The main objective of the present study was to explore and elevate the impact of Hudhud cyclone at three stations of coastal waters along the coast of Visakhapatnam. The physicochemical characteristics of the coastal water vary with pre and post Hudhud cyclone phase. Significant fluctuations were noticed among the hydrographical parameters like salinity, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand and along with that inorganic nutrients were also enriched during post cyclone event. Collectively, these results demonstrate that storm water runoff from the domestic and sewage drains negatively impacts coastal water quality, both in the surf zone and offshore. However, the extent of this impact and its human health significance is influenced by numerous factors, including prevailing ocean currents, within-plume processing of particles and pathogens and the timing, magnitude and nature of runoff discharged from river outlets over the course of a storm.