Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin told reporters that Cyclone Mandaus, which made landfall late on Friday night, damaged 185 houses and huts. The storm uprooted 400 trees in state capital Chennai, which is a hub for auto makers and technology firms.
Stalin said that around 25,000 people, including disaster relief personnel, were involved in the relief work and over 9,000 people were evacuated to safety in 201 relief camps.
“We are still assessing the damage,” he told reporters after visiting some of the affected areas.
Mandaus weakened from an earlier severe category as it slammed into Sri Lanka, where schools were closed on Friday due to high levels of air pollution from the storm.
The India Meteorological Department tweeted on Saturday that it is expected to gradually weaken into a low pressure area.