New Delhi ( CNN ) -- At least eight people were killed and thousands displaced after powerful Cyclone Nilam roared into India 's southeastern coast , authorities said Thursday . About 8,000 people in low-lying areas on the coast of Tamil Nadu state were moved to temporary shelters , said Jatindranath Swain , the province 's disaster management commissioner . An oil tanker with 37 people on board got into difficulty as the storm made landfall Wednesday , he said . The high winds and strong waves set the vessel adrift and drove it toward the coast , where it ran aground , Swain said . Naval divers engaged in rescue efforts at the stranded ship , according to Swain , but six crew members remained missing Thursday . The India Meteorological Department said that Nilam crossed the southern coast at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday . It then moved inland and weakened into a deep depression , the agency said . 7 ways to manage stress in a disaster . Emergency crews were patrolling vulnerable zones in Tamil Nadu , Swain said . Governments in neighboring Andhra Pradesh state and the federally-administered territory of Puducherry had said they were prepared to deal with Nilam . The national weather department was forecasting heavy rains in parts of Tamil Nadu , Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry . `` Gale wind-speed reaching 80-90 kph ( 50-56 mph ) gusting to 100 kph ( 62 mph ) would prevail along and off north Tamil Nadu , Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts during next 24 hours , '' it said Wednesday . Weather officials also predicted a storm surge that was likely to inundate low-lying areas , mainly along Tamil Nadu 's coast . Forecasters warned that residents should expect extensive damage to thatched roofs and huts , advising fishermen not to venture into the sea until the storm has passed . Experts warn of superstorm era to come .
About 8,000 people in low-lying areas of Tamil Nadu state are relocated . Six crew members are missing from an oil tanker that ran aground . Cyclone Nilam brings heavy rain and high winds to the region .