Cyclone Dana slams Odisha coast at midnight, leaves widespread damage

Cyclone Dana made landfall at Habalikhati within Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha midnight on October 25, 2024, bringing severe winds and heavy rainfall that pummelled the coastal region.

The cyclone moved across Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore and Jagatsinghpur districts, unleashing intense rainfall and strong winds that toppled thatched houses, uprooted trees and electric poles and inundated low-lying areas.

After churning in the Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Dana reached Habalikhati beach, under the Satabhaya Gram Panchayat in Bhitarkanika National Park, around 12 am. Moving north-northwest, it crossed the Odisha coast near Habalikhati Nature Camp and Dhamara between 1.30 am and 3.30 am with winds reaching 100-110 kilometres per hour (kmph), gusting up to 120 kmph.

“The cyclone hit the Odisha coast with a wind speed of 100-120 kmph kmph, combined with heavy rainfall,” reported Manorama Mohanty, director of the India Meteorological Department’s regional meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar.

The storm generated tidal waves up to two metres high, which inundated coastal areas. Continuous rainfall over three days, along with tidal wave surges, led to severe waterlogging in low-lying areas. The government-built rehabilitation colony at Bagapatia, established in 2013 for villagers displaced by sea erosion, was severely flooded.

Cyclone Dana ravaged the coastal areas of four districts, with Bhitarkanika National Park, India’s second-largest mangrove forest and a Ramsar site, suffering significant damage. “We are assessing the situation. So far, more than 500,000 people have been moved to safer locations,” stated Special Relief Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh.

Hundreds of thatched mud-wall houses were damaged and several saline embankments were breached due to the powerful storm surge. Dana, one of the fiercest cyclones in recent years, has left large areas of the coastal regions without electricity after strong winds uprooted electric poles. The cyclone follows other major storms, including Yaas in 2021, Amphan in 2020 and Fani in 2019.

The storm’s tidal waves battered the coastline, causing damage in villages across Talachua, Rangani, Baghamari, Gupti, Sailendranagar, Ajagapatia and others under Rajnagar block. Many embankments are now in danger of collapsing, leaving remaining villages vulnerable to high tides and potential flooding.

The sea turned rough, with waves reaching one to two metres high, resulting in partial or complete destruction of homes and displacement of several families.

In the aftermath, hundreds of trees were uprooted and extensive damage was reported to agricultural land. The cyclone left areas in darkness as electrical infrastructure was swept away. Many seaside villages remain on high alert due to the ingress of saline water. 

“Water has entered villages close to the shore following high tides on October 24 and 25,” said Nilu Mohapatra, additional district magistrate of Kendrapara.