Over 1 mn evacuated as states brace for Yaas
Severe cyclonic storm to make landfall in Odisha, West Bengal today, likely to cause extensive damage, warns IMD
NEW DELHI/KOLKATA/BHUVANESHWAR: Around a million people were evacuated to safer areas from West Bengal and Odisha as severe cyclonic storm Yaas, which is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclone, will make landfall on the eastern coast on Wednesday and cause extensive damage, officials said.
The powerful cyclone, the second in less than two weeks, comes at a time when the nation is facing the world’s worst outbreak of Covid-19.
Yaas is likely to make landfall near Dhamra Port in Odisha’s Bhadrak district early on Wednesday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Dr Umashankar Das, a scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, said that the landfall will most likely be between Dhamra and Chandbali in the district.
IMD director general Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that Yaas is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) by Tuesday evening.
“Four districts [in Odisha] —Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore – are likely bear the worst impacts,” he said
Cyclone Yaas, equivalent to a category 3 hurricane, will cause heavy rains in the eastern states with wind speeds of around 155kmph to 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph, according to IMD. Sea levels may increase four meters above regular tides and inundate low-lying areas in Jhargram, south 24 Parganas, Medinipur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsighpur districts around the time of landfall, it said.
Widespread impact is likely to be felt over north Odisha and West Bengal. There is likely to be total destruction of thatched houses; extensive damage to kutcha houses; some damage to pucca houses; potential threat from flying objects; bending/ uprooting of power and communication poles; flooding of escape routes; disruption of railways, overhead power lines and signaling systems; widespread damage to standing crops, plantations, orchards, blowing down of mango trees; small boats may get detached from moorings and visibility may be severely affected, IMD has warned.
West Bengal has so far shifted about 900,000 people to various relief centers, chief minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters Tuesday. About 370,000 people, including state government officials, police, army officers, rehabilitation workers and volunteers, are working together to handle the situation, she said.
“We are monitoring the situation 24/7. Control rooms have been set up at every block to monitor the situation, apart from the one at state secretariat Nabanna,” she said.
More than 200,000 people have already been moved from coastal areas of Odisha to safer places and the operation is still continuing, Pradeep Jena, the state’s additional chief secretary told news agency Bloomberg. Sealing and fortification of doors