No casualty or major damages were reported till 8 a.m. while ‘very severe cyclonic storm Titli’ had its landfall near Palasa of Andhra Pradesh to the southwest of Gopalpur in Odisha’s Ganjam district at around 5.30 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Gopalpur experienced wind with velocity of 102kmph during the landfall. According to local fire services officials, branches of trees were broken at several places and at some places few trees were uprooted. As per Ganjam district administration, till now no incident of major damage had been reported from any part of the district.
But administration is on high alert as landfall process will continue for next two to three hours with heavy rains in Ganjam and other adjoining coastal districts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Balsore district in northern Odisha experienced heavy rainfall as the cyclone continues to cross over land in Odisha.
Detail assessment of losses is being made. Disruption of electricity supply as precautionary measure still continues. But telephone and internet services were still functional in Gopalpur, Berhampur and other affected areas.
Since Wednesday, over two lakh people of cyclone vulnerable coastal areas of Ganjam district had been evacuated to cyclone shelters. According to official sources, all of them are safe.
But train services suspended between Khurda Road and Vizainagarm since 10PM of Wednesday had not resumed till 8AM.
Odisha government is monitoring the situation closely through control room in Bhubaneswar. Relief is being provided to people evacuated to cyclone shelters. Over three lakh people from coastal villages of Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara districts had been evacuated as precautionary measure to assure ‘zero casualty’.