Cyclone Titli has been classified as a "very severe cyclonic storm"
Cyclone Titli has made landfall in Odisha near Gopalpur, the weather department said today. People in coastal areas of Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh are preparing to face the full onslaught of the cyclone. 'Titli', which means butterfly in Hindi, has been categorised as a "very severe cyclonic storm". People in five coastal districts in Odisha are being moved to safety after the storm intensified. The storm is inching closer to the coast in southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh. All schools, colleges and anganwadi centres in four districts of Odisha are closed today.
Here are the highlights on Cyclone Titli's landfall in Odisha:
"Relief that Cyclone Titli has become weak," says Mamata Banerjee
Even as the Durga Puja organisers worry about the effect of cyclone "Titli" in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the gradual weakening of the cyclone is a relief, according to news agency IANS.
"It is a sort of relief that cyclone Titli has gradually become weak after hitting Andhra Pradesh. There was a looming danger due to this," Ms Banerjee said while inaugurating a Durga Puja marquee at Chakraberia in south Kolkata's Bhawanipore.
She further said that the weathermen have predicted rainfall for the next two days but everyone is aware of nature's unpredictability.
"Therefore, people will have to keep the faith that the Puja days would pass well."
At least six persons, including four of a family, went missing after their house got swept away by flood waters following heavy rains in Odisha's Ganjam district on Thursday.
Power supply and road transport was severely hit in Odisha's Ganajm and Gajapati districts Thursday, officials said.
East Coast Railway cancelled at least six trains and rescheduled some others besides gearing up to restore normal services today.
After making landfall near Palasa in Andhra Pradesh, cyclone Titli caused extensive damage to station buildings, platform shelters and foot overbridge at various places, a railway spokesperson said.
Palasa railway station in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh
Since there was a warning about #Titli,we identified vulnerable areas&shifted people to our shelters.We have no. of multi-purpose cyclone shelters across the state&we shifted people in over 1100 shelters. It was an elaborate operation: B Sethi,Special Relief Commissioner (Odisha) quoted by news agency ANI
8 people have died in Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram districts due to #CycloneTitli. Power supply and communication systems are affected in both districts. Coastal villages are cut off from the mainland as the roads are damaged: news agency ANI
Cyclone Titli did not have much impact in West Bengal, following its landfall Thursday, but the southern districts of the state are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain as it is may turn towards Gangetic West Bengal, weather officials said.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu monitors the weather situation in the state
Andhra Pradesh State Transport Corporation suspended its bus services as uprooted trees blocked roads at several places.
Transport Minister K Atchannaidu, who hails from Srikakulam, visited the affected mandals and is monitoring the situation. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu conducted a tele-conference with district authorities and instructed them to remain on high alert.
Thoughts with families, especially children, in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh who have affected by Cyclone Titli. Confident local authorities and relief agencies will rise to occasion to help fellow citizens. The entire nation is with you: President Ram Nath Kovind on Twitter
The NDMA has announced a heavy rainfall warning for Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh.
3 boats were stranded near Gopalpur port in which 27 fishermen were rescued by Coast Guard; No loss of human life/injury reported till now, NDMA tweeted.
The NDMA also tweeted and warned people not to enter damaged buildings after the cyclone is over.
The NDMA referred to IMD and tweeted Titli is likely to move northwestwards for next 12hours and re-curve northeastwards towards Gangetic West Bengal across Odisha. It is likely to weaken gradually becoming severe cyclonic storm around noon, cyclonic storm around evening of today and a deep depression by tomorrow morning.
Congress on Twitter urged all workers to assist people affected by cyclone Titli and help people evacuate from the affected areas.
Here are some more visuals from Odisha amidst the Titli cyclone:
Here are the evacuation measures taken in Odisha:- Around 3,00,000 people have been evacuated
- 1112 relief camps have been opened for the evacuees in the shelters
- 105 Pregnant women in Ganjam & 18 in Jagatsinghpur have been shifted to hospital
Here is a cheatsheet for taken for the prepositioning of response forces for Cyclone Titli in Odisha: - Thirteen NDRF teams deployed (Ganjam-2 teams, Gajapati, Puri-2 teams, Kendrapada, Nayagarh, Bhadrak, Jagatsingjpur, Balasore, Jajpur, khurdha and Sambalpur districts).
- ODRAF teams deployed in 9 districts (Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Cuttack, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Boudh and Kalahandi).
- Fire services team are in alert to respond at short notice of the district administration.
Here is a cheatsheet for preparedness measures taken for Cyclone Titli in Odisha:- 30 District Emergency Operation Centres activated to track & respond the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm effectively.
- 300 Power boats of Special Relief Organisation kept ready with crew and POL for relief operations.
- 879 Multi-purpose cyclone/ flood shelters kept in readiness for sheltering people to be evacuated.
- All Government officials to stay in HQRS and not to avail leave.
- All schools, colleges and AWCs will remain closed till 12th of October, 2018.
Here is a cheatsheet for Cyclone Titli in Odisha:- Cyclone Titli made its landfall in North Andhra Pradesh and South Odisha coast near 18.8 *N and 84.5* E
- The wind speed during landfall was 140-150 km/hr.
- It was even reported 165 km/hr in some places.
- It is likely to move in north-eastward direction toward gangetic West Bengal.
- It will weaken to cyclonic storm by today evening.
- 17 districts of Odisha is under red warning where heavy to very heavy rainfall will occur.
- Port warning for Gopalpur and Puri is 10 which is highest and for Chandipur and Paradip it is 9.
Vijay Amruta Kulange, District Collector from Ganjam district said that in Ganjam there has been no report of casualty till 10 am. There are 755 shelters and 50,132 families are from vulnerable areas.
Efforts are on to clear roads blocked by uprooted trees and restore power supply in affected areas at the earliest. In all, eight districts - Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore - have been affected by "very severe cyclone Titli".
Cyclone 'Titli' triggered heavy to very heavy rainfall in Ganjam, Gajapati and Puri districts of Odisha, while damage of hutments and asbestos-roofed houses, street lights, road blockade due to uprooted trees were reported from Ganjam.
Road communication between Paralakhemundi and Mohana and some other block headquarters in Gajapati had been disrupted under the impact of the cyclone. In Ganjam, reports of damage to hutments and other structures and uprooting of trees were received from some areas.
A boat with 5 fishermen onboard capsized in Gopalpur owing to the cyclone. All fishermen brought to safety with help of Indian Coast Guard:
On Congress president Rahul Gandhi's direction, the Odisha unit of the party opened a 24-hour emergency cell, which will function from the evening of 10 October to 16 October.
The people in the affected districts can contact on the Congress helpline numbers - 7609852131, 8895203001, 9861011962, 7008799364, 9348161633, 8847858020, 9937948868 and 9237010939.
Indian Coast Guard on Twitter said: "While the Severe Cyclone Titli was making landfall early this morning Indian Coast Guard Rescue Teams of Paradip, Gopalpur assisted a fishing boat amidst strong winds and heavy rains to safety and rescued 08 distressed fishermen onboard." They also shared images:
Titli is being monitored by the coastal Doppler Weather Radars at Visakhapatnam, Gopalpur and Paradip. The latest observations indicate that 'Titli', over west-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 19 kmph during the past six hours. After the landfall, the system is very likely to re-curve gradually northeastwards, move towards Gangetic West Bengal across Odisha and weaken gradually. The Odisha government has geared up its machinery to tackle the situation.
Here are some visuals from the morning when Cyclone Titli hit Odisha:
The DGP of Odisha, Dr Rajendra Sharma tweeted that the force is at work in demanding weather conditions. He also tweeted pictures:
The National Disaster Management Authority has released a list of Do's and Dont's in view of cyclone Titli. The NDMA tweeted out a list:
The Odisha state government evacuated more than 300,000 people from five coastal districts on Wednesday while local schools, colleges and childcare centres were ordered closed and fishermen advised not to go out to sea.
"We have already evacuated three lakh (300,000) people and more may be shifted to safer places in view of the very severe cyclone," PTI quoted Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as saying. They were accommodated in 1,112 cyclone shelters. Altogether, 105 pregnant women in Ganjam district and 18 in Jagatsinghpur have been shifted to hospitals.
The place is deserted and very few people are on the streets. The skies are completely overcast with clouds.
The landfall is not just in a particular spot but stretches from Gopalpur to Kalingapatnam.
Cyclone Titli is moving at a speed of 140-150 km per hour. Odisha's Gopalpur reported 102 km per hour and Andhra Pradesh's Kalingapatnam reported 56 km per hour surface wind speed, news agency ANI reported.
The landfall is to continue for 3-4 hours.
Reports of trees, electric poles getting uprooted and damages to kuchha houses were reported, officials said, adding that road communication in some places, including Gopalpur and Berhampur, was snapped.
The South Western Railways cancelled/diverted/short terminated a number of trains due to cyclone Titli. Following is a release listing the trains:
"Zero casualty is part of the state government's disaster management policy. Stocking of food and shifting of people to cyclone shelters are also included in the policy," Chief Secretary AP Padhi said.
The eye of the cyclone Titli has entered land:
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who took stock of the situation, asked the collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Kendrapara and Jagtsinghpur districts to go for an immediate evacuation of people in low-lying areas in the coastal belt.
All schools, colleges and anganwadi centres in four districts of Odisha are closed today.
People in coastal areas of Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh are preparing to face the full onslaught of Cyclone Titli.
At least five districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Khurda and Jagatsinghpur are receiving good amount of rainfall coupled with high speed winds under the impact of Titli.