Cyclone YAAS passes Odisha coast, causes no major damages

Bhubaneswar, May 26 (UNI) The very severe cyclonic storm Yaas which made landfall near Balasore coast today morning with high wind speed of 130 to 150 kmph, did not cause any major damages as expected.
IMD Director General Mrutunjaya Mohapatra said the cyclone Yaas centred Balsore – Bhadrak coast and had a landfall near 20 kms south of Balasore coast which continued for three hours.
The very severe cyclonic storm crossed the Odisha coast by about 11.30  and started moving towards Mayurbhanj as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speed ranging from 120 to 130 kmph accompanied by heavy rains.
Mr.Mohapatra said it would gradually weaken and move as a cyclonic storm and further into a deep depression towards Jharkhand by tomorrow accompanied by heavy to very heavy rainfall and wind speed of 60 kmph.
The cyclone Yaas uprooted several trees,damaged thatched and kaccha houses in Balasore and Bhadrak district, disrupted road communication while tidal waves of 2 meters to four meters surge had inundated several villages along the coast in Balasore and Bhadrak district.
Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena said no such major damages have been reported from Jagatsinghpur, kendrapara and Jajpur districts where only several trees were uprooted.
In Balasore and Bhadrak district, the NDRF, ODRAF and Fire Services teams have started clearing the uprooted trees.
He said heavy rains reported from Similipal area almost 161 MM rainfall which is all likely to cause flash floods in Budhabalanga river.
The District magistrate of Mayurbhanj has started evacuating the people from the low lying areas and residing close to the Budhabalanga river to safer places.
The IMD DG said heavy to very heavy rainfall would continue in north Odisha districts today and in some places there would be extremely heavy rainfall of about 20 cm at isolated places.