The very severe cyclonic storm Yaas made landfall at Bahanaga, Remuna block, south of Balasore town in northern Odisha at around 9 am with wind speed of 130 to 140 kmph gusting up to 155 kilometer per hour battering mostly Bhadrak and Balasore districts.
While detailed reports of damage and devastation are yet trickle, the State has reported its first casualty with an elderly man crushed under an uprooted tree in Anandpur block in Keonjhar district reported dead. Hundreds of trees and electric poles are uprooted by the impact of gusty cyclonic winds, said officials.
While the government evacuated about 5.8 lakh people to cyclone shelters and government buildings, including 1.52 lakh in Balasore and 1.20 lakh in Bhadrak district, the government has appealed the people not to venture outdoors till 4 pm.
Mighty waves continue to crash the coast and several seaside villages in Bhadrak, Balasore and Kendrapara districts have come under watery inundation.
The stormy impact of the landfall will be experienced for at least four hours before barreling through Mayurbhanj district. The cyclonic storm will move towards Mayurbhanj and enter Jharkhand around midnight hours, said Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena.
After 1 pm, the wind speed will decrease gradually to 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph by evening. The State recorded heavy to heavy rain under the influence of cyclone Yaas. The highest rainfall of 304 mm was recorded at Kusumi in Mayurbhanj district followed 288 mm in Chandbali and 275 mm in Rajnagar. In as many as 36 places, the rainfall was measured between 110 mm and 304 mm, the official said.
Under the cyclonic influence, there will be heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over coastal districts especially north coastal districts of Odisha on Wednesday. The Gangetic West Bengal and South Jharkhand will experience heavy to very heavy rainfall today. The rainfall activities will gradually decrease from tomorrow, said IMD officials.
With Cyclone Yaas sparing their areas, people in several parts of the State heaved a sigh of relief.
“By the grace of God, we are saved from the cyclonic onslaught. As advised by the government, we will not leave the cyclone shelter till 4 pm. We will leave for home only after the wind speed completely decease”, said Raghab Mandal, a native of Talchua village in Kendrapara district.