This is what IT companies did when Chennai was completely shut due to Cyclone Vardah

As Cyclone Vardah hit Chennai, major IT players asked their employees to work from home. The whole city went under shutdown mode. Factories were mostly shut and there were few factories that opened early, but the workers to leave early.

"More than 90% of IT companies in the city were not working. Even those who worked from home had difficulty as mobile and internet connectivity was poor," Nasscom VP K Purushothaman told TOI.

Banks shut branches midday as the cyclone picked up speed. With mobile connectivity being poor and patchy, consumers found it difficult to pay via e-wallets.

The cyclone left the whole transportation in disarray. While 31 long-distance trains were cancelled, suburban services were suspended from 1pm and many more trains were stranded at locations outside Chennai.

Sixteen trains were held up in the Jolarpettai-Chennai Central section and four trains in the Villupuram-Chennai Egmore section. Platforms on Chennai Beach and Central stations were badly damaged. Overhead cables snapped on the Chennai-Arakkonam sector, trees fell on the track at Perambur, Egmore and Chetpet, which delayed and later led to the suspension of services.

Former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s walfare project- Amma canteens did all that it could. They ensured that the city didn’t faced the cyclone with an emplty stomach. Amma canteens, despite the category 5 storm, continued to serve food free of cost, as it has since the state went into mourning after Jayalalithaa's demise. When the city shut down on December 6 as a mark of respect to Jayalalithaa, of all the government's services, only the Amma canteens served up hot food to residents, especially homeless citizens. Best of all was that the needy did not even have to pay the nominal price that the canteens charge. Centralised canteens distribute food to most of the outlets. So the supply chain remained relatively unaffected at most of the 407 canteens in the city. In canteens not covered by the centralised network, the women who run them ensured that not one customer returned home on an empty stomach. Around 2 pm, after strong

Passengers at Chennai Central were stranded without electricity as also cab and auto services, though food was available in the umpteen stalls. At around 1pm, bus services stopped and auto drivers began to charge a premium of at least Rs 100 above the meter rates. Suburban commuters were stranded at different stations en route. gusts of wind ravaged the area around the canteen, the women invited customers to grab plates of piping hot food.