8 dead as Cyclone Titli hits Andhra Pradesh, Odisha

The 'very severe' cyclonic storm, 'Titli', left eight people dead, besides causing widespread damage in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, the State Disaster Management Authority said.

In Odisha’s Ganjam and Gajapati districts, Titli uprooted trees and electric poles and damaged hutments but no loss of life was reported from any part of the state, officials said.

IMAGE: People make their way as Cyclone Titli hits the city, starting with surface wind effect reaching speeds of 126 kmph at Gopalpur, in Ganjam. Photograph: PTI Photo

The cyclone threw normal life out of gear as heavy to very heavy rains started lashing the two districts since late Wednesday night.

Eight people were killed in different storm-related incidents.

While a 62-year-old woman died at Gudivada Agraharam village after an uprooted tree fell on her, a 55-year-old man died in a house collapse at Rotanasa village in Srikakulam district, the SDMA said.

 

The Chief Minister’s Office informed that six fishermen, who had put out to sea, were killed.

IMAGE: Pedestrians make their way as Cyclone Titli hits the city, starting with surface wind effect reaching speeds of 126 kmph at Gopalpur, in Ganjam. Photograph: PTI Photo

Of the 67 fishing boats that had ventured into the sea over the last few days from Kakinada in East Godavari district, 65 had returned to the shore safely, the CMO said.

Efforts were on to bring back the remaining two boats safely, it added in a release.

The road network suffered extensive damage in Srikakulam district, while the power distribution network was also vastly affected.

IMAGE: Fishermen prepare to dock their boats as Cyclone Titli makes a landfall. Photograph: PTI Photo

More than 2,000 electric poles were uprooted by strong winds.

The Eastern Power Distribution Company that caters to the electricity needs of the north coastal districts reported that the power distribution system for 4,319 villages and six towns was affected in Srikakulam district.

Traffic on the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway was also hit at places like Tekkali due to uprooted trees.

The telecommunication network in the district has also been hit.

IMAGE: Fishermen have been asked to stay away from the choppy waters on account of the storm. Photograph: PTI Photo

The South Central Railway as well as the East Coast Railway cancelled several trains while some were terminated midway.

A few express trains were diverted via other regions.

Horticulture crops suffered extensive damage in Srikakulam district while paddy suffered damage in Vizianagaram.

Coconut plantations, banana and mango trees were the worst hit in the “very severe” cyclonic storm, according to a preliminary report prepared by the SDMA.

IMAGE: Coast Guard rescue teams of at Gopalpur assist a fishing boat amidst strong winds and heavy rains to safety. Photograph: @IndiaCoastGuard/Twitter

In all, eight districts of Odisha -- Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore -- have been affected by ‘very severe cyclone Titli’, Special Relief Commissioner B P Sethi said.

The cyclone also triggered heavy to very heavy rainfall in Ganjam, Gajapati and Puri districts of Odisha, causing minor damage to power and communication.

"There has been no major damage or report of casualty received from any part of the state so far. Some destruction was reported from Ganjam and Gajapati districts," he said.

WATCH: Titli making a landfall in Srikakulam's Vajrapu Kotturu

Power supply and telephone links got disrupted and road communication snapped due to uprooted trees at many places of Gajapati district, the SRC said.

Efforts are on to clear roads blocked by uprooted trees and restore power supply in affected areas at the earliest, he said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has instructed officials to expedite restoration efforts once the situation improves.

He asked officials to provide relief materials to cyclone-affected people.

"The chief minister gave instruction to send two more teams of NDRF to Gajapati where extensive damage has been caused to roads, hutments, electric and telephone poles," Chief Secretary A P Padhi said.

13 teams of National Disaster Response Force and Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force have been deployed in affected areas along with fire brigade personnel.

"The damage is less than what we had feared," the chief secretary said.

IMAGE: A view of deserted Gopalpur beach, in Ganjam. Photograph: PTI Photo

He said communication to all block headquarters in Gajapati district was hit as roads were blocked by uprooted trees and broken branches.

Padhi said the state government moved over three lakh people Wednesday to safe places which helped avoid loss of life in the natural calamity. The evacuees are housed in 1,112 shelters where food and sanitation facilities are available.

Altogether, 105 pregnant women in Ganjam district and 18 in Jagatsinghpur have been shifted to hospitals, Sethi said.

Train services between Khurda Road in Odisha and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh remained suspended since 10 pm Wednesday, East Coast Railway sources said.

"We are optimistic about restoration of train services on the route by (this) evening," said East Coast Railway Chief PRO, J P Mishra.

Damage was caused to railway station buildings at a few places, including Palasa, while signal poles and overhead electric masts were damaged at some places between Palasa and Kottabomali stations, he said adding that steps were being taken to clear the railway tracks.

In Ganjam, reports of damage to hutments and other structures and uprooting of trees were received from some areas, the special relief commissioner said.

Road communication between Paralakhemundi and Mohana and some other block headquarters in Gajapati had been disrupted under the impact of the cyclone, he said.

IMAGE: Locals walk near their houses as Cyclone Titli hits the coast, in Ganjam. Photograph: PTI Photo

In Ganjam, reports of damage to hutments and other structures and uprooting of trees were received from some areas, the SRC said.

According to a latest report by the India Meteorological Department, cyclone Titli made the landfall between 4.30 and 5.30 am in southwest coast of Gopalpur near Palasa in Andhra Pradesh with an estimated maximum sustained surface wind speed of 140-150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph.

The landfall process was complete and 'the centre of eye of cyclone Titli lies over the land,' the IMD said.

The system is now moving northeastwards towards Gangetic West Bengal across Odisha and it will weaken gradually, it said.

An hour after the landfall, Gopalpur in Odisha reported surface wind at 126 kmph, Kalingapatanam in Andhra Pradesh recorded wind speed of 56 kmph.

Director of Meteorological Centre Bhubaneswar H R Biswas said the “very severe cyclonic storm” is being monitored by the coastal Doppler Weather Radars at Visakhapatnam, Gopalpur and Paradip.

As part of its pre-cyclone preparedness, the Odisha government evacuated over three lakh people living in low-lying areas of the five coastal districts ahead of the landfall.

They were accommodated in 1,112 cyclone shelters.