Cyclone Tauktae | Five killed as gale force winds, rain pummel Kerala, Karnataka

Gale-force winds, heavy rain and excessive tidal waves swept the coastal belt of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa as Cyclone Tauktae hurtled northwards in the direction of Gujarat on Sunday, leaving at the very least 5 individuals lifeless, damaging lots of of homes, uprooting electrical energy poles and timber and forcing large-scale evacuation.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Tauktae, which has intensified right into a “very severe cyclonic storm”, is prone to intensify additional in the course of the subsequent 24 hours and attain the Gujarat coast on Monday night.

High wave warnings with flooding of low-lying areas and harm to property have been issued for Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, and south Tamil Nadu. A joint bulletin issued by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in Hyderabad and IMD forecast “damage” over Porbandar, Amreli Junagarh, Gir Somnath, Botad and Bhavnagar, plus the coastal areas of Ahmedabad.

An estimated 1.5 lakh persons are being shifted from low-lying coastal areas in Gujarat whereas 54 groups of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed within the State.

Maharashtra, too, is bracing for the cyclone as the Met Department predicted heavy to very heavy rain at remoted locations in north Konkan, Mumbai, Thane and Palghar, and intensely heavy rainfall in Raigad on Monday.

Four deaths had been reported from Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Shivamogga districts. Roads in coastal districts had been washed away and about 12 km of beachfront from Kulai to Sasihithlu in Dakshina Kannada district was eroded, leaving a number of homes in peril.

Levels in Kerala dams up

The water stage in lots of dams throughout Kerala rose after heavy rain within the catchment areas, prompting the authorities to sound an alert.

The IMD issued orange alerts for heavy to very heavy rain in three Kerala districts — Ernakulam, Idukki and Malappuram — and 11 districts have been placed on yellow alert for Monday. The cyclone-related toll within the State went as much as three after a 71-year-old lady from Kozhikode district died when a coconut tree fell on her on Saturday.

Gusty winds and heavy rain began lashing a number of components of Goa since Sunday morning. Power provide in a number of areas was disrupted as lots of of electrical poles had been uprooted because of the high-speed winds, State Power Minister Nilesh Cabral stated. Restoration work was hampered because of the sturdy winds, he stated.

“Many high tension 33 KV feeders are down due to the falling of trees. Even the 220 KV lines bringing power to Goa from neighbouring Maharashtra have been damaged,” he stated.

The State Fire and Emergency Services management room was flooded with lots of of calls from locals in regards to the falling of timber and blocked roads, its director Ashok Menon stated.

“Our force has been working since last night to clear the roads and remove trees which have fallen on the power lines,” Mr. Menon stated.

Seven districts affected in Karnataka

In Karnataka, greater than 70 villages in seven districts, together with Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu and Hassan, had been affected by the cyclone, the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority officers stated.

The highest rainfall of 385 mm was recorded at Nada Station in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district, which was the worst-affected, and 15 stations recorded greater than 200 mm of rainfall within the district. Rainfall was accompanied by sturdy winds with speeds reaching as much as 90 km per hour.

According to the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD, by May 18 the wind velocity is anticipated to extend to 150-160 km per hour, gusting as much as 175 km per hour. High waves within the vary of three.5-6.6 m until Monday evening and excessive winds are forecast past 10 km off the coast of Kerala, Karnataka. Maharastra, Goa and Gujarat, the INCOIS bulletin added.

Officials stated practically a dozen aid camps had been functioning within the State. There had been harm to 112 homes, 139 electrical energy poles and different infrastructure within the coastal areas.

Severe sea erosion within the coastal districts of Kerala compelled the district administrations to open extra aid camps. Eight new camps have been opened in Alappuzha. In all, 359 individuals from 122 households have been shifted to 19 aid camps within the district. Rise in river water ranges led to waterlogging in components of Kuttanad. The Irrigation Department raised 23 shutters of the Thottappally spillway and majority of the Thanneermukkom bund.

In Ernakulam district, the coastal stretch from south Chellanam to Nayarambalam has been ravaged by sea erosion. The Thrissur district administration stated spillway shutters of the Peringalkuthu dam could be opened if the water stage crosses the permitted restrict of 419.41 m. In a press release, the administration urged individuals residing on the banks of Chalakudy river to be cautious.

Shutters of the Malankara dam in Idukki district are anticipated to be opened as the water stage has elevated, the district authorities stated. Twenty-one homes had been totally destroyed and 354 others had been broken within the district. Crop harm was reported in 294 hectares.

Families residing in coastal areas and low-lying areas of the State have been shifted to aid camps. The Navy on Sunday deployed its diving and fast response groups within the coastal village of Chellanam in Ernakulam district, which was hit by tidal waves. Tidal waves additionally lashed Kaipamangalam, Chavakkad and Kodungallur in Thrissur, Pallithura in Thiruvananthapuram, Thri- kkannapuzha in Alappuzha, and Beypore and Koyilandy in Kozhikode districts.

NCMC meets

The National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, met on Sunday within the nationwide capital. He directed the businesses to make sure “uninterrupted” functioning of COVID-19 hospitals within the States affected by the cyclone and safe “zero loss” of lives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Saturday reviewed the preparedness of the States, Central Ministries and businesses involved to take care of the state of affairs arising out of the cyclone and requested them to take each potential measure to make sure that the individuals had been safely evacuated.

The IMD stated Tauktae would cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district by early Tuesday and tidal waves are prone to inundate a number of coastal districts in the course of the landfall.

“The very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae over the east-central Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 11 kmph during the past six hours,” it stated.

“It is very likely to intensify during the next 24 hours. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach the Gujarat coast on the evening of May 17 and cross the coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district early on May 18,” the IMD stated. With the cyclone intensifying, wind speeds alongside and off the Gujarat coast in Porbandar, Junagadh, Gir Somnath and Amreli districts will attain 150-160 kmph gusting to 175 kmph by Tuesday morning.

It will attain a velocity of 120-150 kmph, gusting to 165 kmph over Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar districts throughout the identical interval, the IMD stated.

“With the cyclone likely to affect power supply, hospitals treating COVID-19 patients have been asked to ensure power back-up. Arrangements have also been made to ensure uninterrupted generation of medical oxygen in the eight manufacturing units and buffer stock has also been created,” Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani stated.

(With inputs from Hyderabad and PTI)