Bhubaneswar: Severe cyclonic storm Dana, accompanied by gusty surface winds reaching speeds of up to 110 kmph, made landfall early Friday morning at the Habalikhati Nature Camp in Bhitarkanika in Odisha’s Kendrapara district.
According to IMD sources, the landfall process of Cyclone Dana, which began around midnight on Thursday between Bhitarkanika and Dhamara, triggered heavy rains in Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj. The landfall process completed this morning.
The storm moved north-northwest at a speed of 10 kmph and weakened into a cyclonic storm over north coastal Odisha on Friday. It is currently centered approximately 30 km northeast of Bhadrak and 50 km north-northwest of Dhamara, with sustained wind speeds near the cyclone’s center ranging from 80-90 kmph, gusting up to 100 kmph.
The cyclone is expected to move northwest across northern Odisha and gradually weaken into a deep depression within the next six hours. The system is under continuous surveillance by the Doppler weather radar at Paradip.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed the post-landfall situation on Friday at the SRC office with senior officials. He reported a ‘zero casualty’ outcome, attributing this to the timely actions taken by the administration during the cyclone’s landfall. He directed district collectors in affected areas to assess damage from Cyclone Dana.
Majhi praised the timely actions and efforts of the administration in ensuring zero casualties, stating that, with the blessings of Lord Jagannath, the government achieved its target of ‘zero casualties.’
He also instructed the concerned authorities to clear all roads by 1 p.m. and restore power by the evening. The government had deployed 19 NDRF teams, 51 ODRAF teams, and 220 fire services teams in areas anticipated to be affected by the severe cyclonic storm Dana.
Around six lakh people were evacuated from vulnerable areas and sheltered in 8,382 cyclone shelters, where they were provided with dry and cooked food. The highest number of evacuations was in Balasore, with 1.72 lakh people, followed by over one lakh in Mayurbhanj, and under a lakh each in Bhadrak, Kendrapara, and Jajpur districts.
Rajkanika in Kendrapara district recorded the highest rainfall at 156 mm, followed by Chandbali with 131.6 mm and Balasore with 42.8 mm.
The IMD has issued a red warning for Balasore, Bhadrak, and Mayurbhanj districts for Friday, forecasting heavy rainfall up to 20 cm and wind speeds between 80-90 kmph.
IMD sources mentioned that the landfall process was delayed by several hours due to two anticyclonic circulation, from both east and west, which also reduced the storm’s fury and velocity.
Official sources reported that approximately 4,421 pregnant women were safely relocated to various hospitals on Thursday, with 1,600 successfully delivering babies.
The Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), which had suspended flight services from 5 p.m. on Thursday, resumed operations at 8 a.m. this morning.
The East Coast Railway canceled 203 trains scheduled for October 23 and 24 due to Cyclone Dana.The state government had closed all the educational institutions across 14 districts for three days as a safety measure from October 23.
