Cyclone Dana Makes Landfall Near Bhitarkanika Off Odisha Coast

Bhubaneswar, Oct 25: Severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ made landfall near Habalikhati in Bhitarkanika area off Odisha coast in the wee hours of Friday, lashing the coast with winds gusting at around 120 Km per hour, officials said.

The landfall will last for about four to five hours, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Under the impact of ‘Dana’, heavy rainfalls and high tides in the sea are seen near the landfall region and it brought down many big trees, electric poles and thatched houses. Many roads have been blocked due to the falling down of big trees.

However, there was no report of any major damage or casualty so far even as the landfall process started more than an hour ago, an official said.

The actual damages caused by ‘Dana’ can only be assessed after the landfall process is over and weakening of the severe cyclonic storm.

As the IMD forecast potential flash floods across 16 districts in Odisha due to heavy rainfall from Cyclone Dana, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi assured residents that the State government is fully equipped to handle any challenges posed by the storm.

More than 6 lakh people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas in the State and moved to cyclone shelters where cooked food is being provided, officials said.

Earlier, CM Majhi had claimed that the State government aims to ensure Zero casualties in the cyclone.