Measuring Cyclonic Storm DANA Havoc in Odisha & West Bengal

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Odisha Weathers Storm DANA with Zero Casualty

By Dr Baijayanti Rout

Bhubaneshwar, October 26: Severe cyclonic storm DANA hit the eastern coast early Friday, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds that uprooted trees and electric poles, causing considerable damage to infrastructure and crops in several districts of Odisha and West Bengal.

Cyclone DANA struck Habalikhati within Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha at midnight on October 25, 2024, bringing with it fierce winds and heavy rains that battered the coastal area. Odisha’s coastal districts and parts of West Bengal faced extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds as Severe Cyclone DANA made landfall on Friday.

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The landfall process concluded without significant damage in Odisha, and the state successfully achieved its ‘zero casualty’ mission. The landfall commenced after midnight on Thursday, with the cyclone hitting the Odisha coast at wind speeds of 110-120 kph and concluding around 8:30 AM on Friday, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Officials noted that the storm was centered over northern coastal Odisha, moving at a speed of 10 kph and has since weakened into a cyclonic storm. After developing in the Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Dana made landfall at Habalikhati beach, situated within the Satabhaya Gram Panchayat of Bhitarkanika National Park, shortly after midnight.

It continued to move north-northwest, crossing the Odisha coast near Habalikhati Nature Camp and Dhamara between 1:30 AM and 3:30 AM, with wind speeds of 100 to 110 kilometers per hour (kmph) and gusts reaching up to 120 kmph.

Impact of cyclone DANA

The storm produced tidal waves as high as two meters, leading to flooding in coastal areas. Continuous rain over three days, combined with tidal surges, caused serious waterlogging in low-lying regions. The rehabilitation colony at Bagapatia, built by the government in 2013 for villagers displaced by sea erosion, experienced significant flooding.

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Cyclone Dana severely impacted the coastal areas of four districts, causing substantial damage to Bhitarkanika National Park, which is India’s second-largest mangrove forest and a Ramsar site. “We are assessing the situation. So far, more than 500,000 people have been relocated to safety,” reported Special Relief Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh.

The cyclone progressed through the districts of Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Jagatsinghpur, unleashing torrential downpours and strong winds that destroyed thatched homes, uprooted trees, and knocked over electric poles. Many low-lying regions faced flooding, leading to widespread disruption and damage. The storm’s tidal waves pounded the coastline, causing destruction in villages such as Talachua, Rangani, Baghamari, Gupti, Sailendranagar, and Ajagapatia, all located within the Rajnagar block. Many embankments are now at risk of collapsing, putting the remaining villages at risk of high tides and possible flooding.

Hundreds of thatched mud houses were damaged, and several saline embankments were breached as a result of the powerful storm surge. Dana, one of the most intense cyclones in recent years, left vast areas of the coastal region without electricity due to strong winds that uprooted electric poles. This cyclone follows other significant storms, including Yaas in 2021, Amphan in 2020, and Fani in 2019.

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The sea grew rough, with waves rising to one or two meters, leading to partial or complete destruction of homes and the displacement of many families. Following the storm, hundreds of trees were uprooted, and extensive damage to agricultural land was reported.

Many areas were left in darkness as electrical infrastructure was swept away. Several seaside villages remain on high alert due to the encroachment of saline water. Severe cyclonic storm DANA hit the eastern coast early Friday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds that uprooted trees and electric poles, causing significant damage to infrastructure and crops in several districts of Odisha and West Bengal.

While Odisha reported a successful ‘zero casualty mission,’ two fatalities were confirmed in West Bengal. As Cyclone Dana weakened into a deep depression and shifted westward, authorities initiated extensive relief and rehabilitation efforts in the impacted areas.

In both Odisha and West Bengal, flights, rail services, and bus operations quickly resumed following the storm, as officials worked to assess and resolve any disruptions caused by the cyclone, which made landfall between Dhamra and Bhitarkanika shortly after midnight.

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According to an ECoR official, trains from Visakhapatnam, Howrah, and Kharagpur to Bhubaneswar have now started operating. A train on the Kharagpur-Visakhapatnam route is expected to reach Bhadrak Station at 2 PM. Railway authorities indicated that trains departing from Bhubaneswar and Puri will begin their journeys after noon on Friday, aside from those that were specifically cancelled.

Flight operations at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata resumed at 8 AM following Dana’s landfall, after being suspended since Thursday evening as a precaution.

The East Coast Railway (ECoR) announced that train services resumed as scheduled, except for those that had been previously cancelled due to Cyclone DANA, which saw around 203 trains cancelled as a precaution. Additionally, train services on the southern section of the Sealdah Division under Eastern Railway resumed at 10 AM after prior cancellations due to the cyclone. Officials noted that services would be gradually restored throughout the day.

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