Lakhs in Odisha, West Bengal brace for cyclonic storm Dana landfall

Cyclone Dana landfall: Trees were uprooted and power infrastructure was hit at isolated places in Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts while disaster response forces cautiously treaded to remove obstructions along road

Lakhs of people in Odisha’s coastal districts, especially Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Balasore, and in West Bengal are bracing for a harrowing night as the severe cyclonic storm Dana is set to make landfall shortly after midnight on Thursday (October 24, 2024). The landfall process is likely to continue till early morning on Friday.

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Six hours prior to the landfall, the outer layer of cyclonic storm had surrounded Odisha’s coastal region, causing widespread rain and wind on Thursday evening. Trees were uprooted and power infrastructure was hit at isolated places in Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts while disaster response forces cautiously treaded to remove obstructions along road.

As a precautionary measure, the Odisha government had evacuated 4.17 lakh people to different cyclone shelters where cooked food and other necessary facilities were made available.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi over telephone to receive update on the State’s preparedness for the cyclone Dana. According to the Chief Minister’s Office, both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister expressed satisfaction with Odisha’s readiness to tackle the cyclone.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said: “The severe cyclonic storm, Dana, over central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at about 90 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 110 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 210 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal).”

“It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during midnight of October 24 to morning of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph,” the IMD said. Storm surge between one and two metres was expected in Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts around landfall process. The cyclone is likely to recurve once it enters landmass.