Youths take picture of tidal waves near Gopalpur port on Sunday. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 12: Youngsters, who had never experienced a cyclone, were eager to have a first-hand experience of Hudhud.

Beaches of Gopalpur and Puri were thronged by youngsters on Sunday who came to experience the effects of the storm. A number of college students from Berhampur and its nearby places reached the Gopalpur beach early in the morning to witness the raging sea during the cyclone.

“We know that the situation is not as serious as last year. So, we thought it would not be dangerous to come and witness the situation,” said Avinash Rout, a student of Berhampur University, who had come with his friends.

Youngsters from the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack also visited the beach. “Five of my friends and I reached Berhampur a day before the arrival of the cyclone as we thought it would be dangerous to travel such distance on Sunday,” said Pritam Panda, a first-year English literature student at Utkal University.

However, onlookers couldn’t stay longer near the beach as the police evacuated the crowd after Hudhud made its landfall in Visakhapatam.

The youths went to other safer zones such as hotels and places near the Gopalpur port, with the police restricting entry to the beach.

A few also visited the camps where the evacuated people were sheltered.

“The administration was quite reluctant to allow us near the beach. We understand their concerns. But we were in no mood to go back. So we went to a safer place near the Gopalpur port,” added Panda.

A few from Bhubaneswar also went to Puri, although the restrictions here were not as strict as in Gopalpur. “We were not allowed to venture into the beach, but we could enjoy the sea from a hotel. As it was drizzling, the drive from the city to Puri this morning was a pleasant one,” said Sweety Samantray, a 23-year-old IT professional.

It was also an opportunity for the shutterbugs to capture nature in different hues. “I was not here during Phailin and I did not want to miss the chance,” said Abhishek Das, a 24-year-old photographer.