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Asia Pacific: Cyclone Fani Information bulletin n° 2

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India
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IFRC
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This bulletin is being issued for information only and reflects the current situation and details available at this time. The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), requested for a Disaster Emergency Relief Fund (DREF) as imminent crisis in supporting the preparedness measures. In addition, no international assistance is requested at this stage for Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The situation Cyclone Fani made landfall near Puri, in Odisha State, about 9:30 am local time today. Fani brought sustained winds of 240 kmph, which is equivalent of a super typhoon or Category 4 hurricane. It is the strongest storm to hit India since 1999, media reported.
According to the latest information bulletin from India Meteorological Department (IMD), as of 3 May, the system is very likely to continue to move northnortheastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal throughout Friday and into Saturday. Fani is expected to bring large storm surges and significant wind damage. Most affected areas would be northern Andhra Pradesh (Vijayanagaram, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts), Odisha – (Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Jajpur, cuttak,
Mayurbhanj and Balasore) and West Bengal (East and West Medinipur, South- and North-24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Jhargram as well as Kolkata districts). It is also expected to affect 10,000 villages and 52 towns in Odisha State alone.

All flights to and from Kolkata have been canceled from 3:00 pm local time. Several trains passing through Odisha or destined to Odisha are cancelled.

Before the Cyclone made landfall, more than a million evacuated from different districts in India. About 5,000 kitchens established to serve food to the people evacuated to safe shelters. Electricity department is prepared to restore power supply in case of any disruption due to cyclone. Sanitation ministry will move additional water supplies and kept packaged drinking water supplies ready to dispatch. The ministry of food processing industries is keeping in readiness packaged ready-to-eat food. The health ministry has mobilized emergency medical teams, medicines and also coordinated with Indian Red Cross Society to provide assistance. It has kept ready 17 public health response teams and five quick response medical teams with emergency drugs.

Besides, the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief and rescue operations while the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force units in the three states have also been put on standby.

In Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) advised to hoist danger signal seven for coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalokathi, Pirozpur,
Barisal, Patuakhali, Borguna, Bhola and their offshore islands and chars. Maritime ports of Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist danger signal number Seven while Maritime Ports of Chattogram has been advised to hoist danger signal number Six. Coastal Districts of Chattogram,
Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur and their offshore Islands and chars will come under danger signal number Six. Maritime ports of Cox’s bazar have been advised to keep hoisted local Warning signal number Four. Apart from those coastal districts, Jessore, Kustia, Rajshahi, Bogura, Natore are also likely to be affected by the storm followed by heavy rain falls and potential flash flood, as the meteorologist predicts.

According to the Needs Assessment Working Group, the projected track anticipated that the Cyclone will pass through Chuadanga district on 4 May. A total of 26 districts are projected as risk prone due to cyclonic wind or deep depression. An estimated 59,010,780 population of Bangladesh are exposed to cyclonic storm and heavy rainfall. There is a possibility of tidal inundation in low lying areas of 14 coastal areas. There is likelihood of heavy damages of crops due to heavy rainfall.

The Bangladesh government issued mass evacuation orders in 19 coastal districts to over 4,000 shelters erected along the coastlines. The armed forces were also kept ready for disaster response. According to the media report, the evacuees will be provided with dry food and potable water. The district administrations are also equipped with medicines and other relief materials to tide over the post disaster phase as well.