By Austin Ramzy for the New York Times
Hundreds of thousands of people evacuated parts of India’s eastern coast Thursday as a powerful cyclone moved north, bringing fears of widespread destruction in the coming hours.
Cyclone Fani was expected to hit the coast Friday with heavy rain, powerful winds and storm surge in some low-lying areas. More than 100 million people are potentially in the path of the storm, AccuWeather reported.
The India Meteorological Department classified Fani as an “extremely severe cyclonic storm,” the equivalent of a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, and said it would land with sustained winds of more than 100 miles per hour and gusts of up to 120 m.p.h.
As much as eight inches of rain is forecast to fall on northern parts of the state of Andhra Pradesh and on the state of Odisha. The storm is expected to continue north, hitting the neighboring countries of Bangladesh and Bhutan, as well as parts of the Indian states of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya.
From the BBC
Thousands of people are being evacuated from villages along India’s eastern coastline ahead of a severe cyclone.
Cyclone Fani is heading towards the state of Orissa with wind speeds in excess of 200 km/h (127 mph), and is expected to make landfall on Friday.
Officials have now shut down operations at two major ports on the east coast, and thousands of rescuers are helping people evacuate from low-lying areas.
Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states are also on high alert.
Which areas will be affected?
The cyclone is currently moving up the Bay of Bengal, east of Andhra Pradesh.
HR Biswas, director of the meteorological centre in Orissa’s state capital, Bhubaneshwar, said at least 11 districts would be hit – and that they have “suggested people stay indoors”.
India’s National Disaster Management Authority has also warned people along the rest of India’s east coast, especially fishermen, not to go out to sea because the conditions are “phenomenal”.
The agency said the “total destruction of thatched houses” was possible, as well as “extensive damage” to other structures.
Once the cyclone has made landfall in north-eastern India, it is expected to move towards Chittagong in Bangladesh in a weaker form on Saturday.
The port city of Cox’s Bazar, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees live in camps with minimal shelter, is also on alert.
In February the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) began distributing tarpaulins ahead of the region’s “cyclone season” – but warned that if a deadly storm rolls in, shelters made of battered bamboo and shredded plastic would offer little protection.
How has India prepared?
Indian officials say they have set up more than 850 shelters, which are thought to be able to hold almost one million people.
The navy, the coast guard and the National Disaster Response Force have all been prepared for deployment.
Local media report that about 81 trains travelling to and from coastal cities have been cancelled.
India’s electoral commission has relaxed its rules about what the government can do during election periods so that the authorities can carry out relief work.
The country is in the middle of a multi-phased election which started last month.
Under normal circumstances the incumbent government has certain powers suspended, so that it can’t announce new schemes or take new decisions during the voting period.
Although the election will continue until the end of May, Orissa has already voted.
