# Cyclone Dana

Severe Cyclonic Storm Dana (/ˈdɑːnə/) was a strong tropical cyclone which affected the states of West Bengal and Odisha in India. The third cyclonic storm and second severe cyclonic storm of the 2024 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Dana formed from a low pressure area that the Indian Meteorological Department first monitored on 20 October.

## Meteorological history

Severe Cyclonic Storm Dana rose from a cyclonic circulation which formed over the Andaman Sea on 19 October from which low pressure area formed in the south Bay of Bengal at 23:30 IST on 20 October. It moved northwestwards and formed a well marked low pressure area at 11:30 IST on 21 October. It concentrated into a depression at 05:30 IST on 22 October, 770 km south-southeast of Sagar Island. At 16:30 IST, Joint Typhoon Warning Centre issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the depression. By 17:30 IST, it had consolidated into a deep depression and was 740 km south-southeast of Sagar Island, moving in a west-northwestern direction at a speed of 7 km/h. Over the next 6 hours, it intensified into cyclonic storm Dana; moving with a speed of 18 km/h and lay centered 630 km from of Sagar Island at 05:30 IST of 23 October. It further intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm at 23:30 IST; moving at a speed of 15 km/h and lay centered about 420 km from Sagar Island. At 11:30 IST on 24 October, the storm was 270 km south of Sagar Island and was moving at a speed of 13 km/h and by 21:30 IST it was 190 km south-southwest of Sagar Island and was moving towards the Odisha coast at a speed of 15 km/h.
At 23:30 IST on 24 October, the storm started making landfall. It crossed the North Odisha coast close to Habalikhati Nature Camp (Bhitarkanika) and Dhamra Port between 01:30 IST and 03:30 IST on 25 October as a severe cyclonic storm. It lay centered about 20 km south-east and at 02:30 IST and 10 km north of Dhamra Port and 20 km north-northwest of Habalikhati Nature Camp at 03:30 IST, moving with a speed of 12 km/h with wind speeds of 110 km/h and gusts reaching upto 130 km/h. At 07:30 IST, the storm moved north-westwards at a speed of 10 km/h and was 30 km and 50 km north-northwest of Dhamra Port and Habalikhati Nature Camp(Bhitarkanika) respectively. Subsequently, the system got surrounded by anti-cyclone conditions on east and west sides and encountered heavy wind shear. This caused it weakened into a cyclonic storm. It completed the landfall process at 08:30 IST with wind speeds of 80-90 km/h and gusts of upto 100 km/h. It lay 30 km northeast of Bhadrak and 50 km north-northwest of Dhamra Port, moving at a speed of 10 km/h. As it weakened, it moved further inland in a north-northwestward direction, under the influence of the subtropical ridge to its west, at a speed of 7 km/h. At 12:30 IST it was 40 km north-northeast of Bhadrak and 70 km north-northwest of Dhamra with wind speeds of 65 km/h and gusts up to 85 km/h. It weakened further into a deep depression with wind speeds of 55 km/h and gusts of 75 km/h and at 14:30 IST it was 40 km north-northwest of Bhadrak. After this, the remnants of the storm weakened further into a depression about 50 km northwest of Bhadrak and 70 km east-southeast of Keonjhar at 23:30 IST on 25 October and remained stationary over that area. Subsequently it weakened into a remnant low and finally dissipated on 26 October.

## Preparations

Almost 500,00 people were evacuated in Odisha by 21:00 IST. In West Bengal almost 2.4 lakh people took shelter in relief camps. To ensure the safety of the people, the Odisha State Government deployed 288 rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), and fire services. In South Bengal, the NDRF deployed several teams to respond to any emergency situation. The Indian Coast Guard was on high alerts and mobilised its vessels and aircraft to respond to any emergency over the Bay of Bengal. The Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation deployed 6,000 men and 200 patrol vans to carry swift repairs after cyclone. Nearly 400 train services were cancelled or diverted by Eastern Railway, South Eastern Railway and East Coast Railway to ensure public safety. Kolkata Airport and Bhubaneswar Airport suspended flights from 18:00 IST on 24 October until 09:00 IST on 25 October.

## Impact

Casualties by state :
| Country | Region | Deaths | Missing |
| India | Odisha | 1 (Indirect) | Un­known |
| India | West Bengal | 4 | 4 |
| Bangladesh | Barisal | 1 | 0 |
| Bangladesh | Meherpur | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 7 | 4 |

### India
#### Odisha

In Odisha, six hours before landfall, multiple roads were blocked by uprooted trees. Up to 62 mm (2.4 in) of rain was recorded in Paradip. Power infrastructure was hit in isolated parts of Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts. An elderly woman died of a heart attack at an evacuation center in Kendrapara District. Damage statewide stood at Rs 616.69 crore (US$73.3 million).

#### West Bengal

Three people in West Bengal died from electrocution. In south Kolkata’s Bhowanipore, 20-year-old Saurabh Prasad Gupta was electrocuted to death in a waterlogged street; a person died of electrocution in Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas, while trying to fix broken cables in his home; and, on 25 October, civic volunteer Chandan Hazra (32), accompanying a police team, was electrocuted to death when he accidentally touched a live wire in Bud Bud, Burdwan East. The other death was in Howrah’s Tantipara, where Gautam Chattopadhyay (38), a Howrah Municipal Corporation conservancy worker returning home from work, was found dead in a waterlogged street from suspected drowning. In Murshidabad, four people were missing after strong winds from Dana caused several boats to capsize in the Ganges river. In Kolkata, 152.8 mm (6.02 in) of rain was recorded from 6.30 a.m. of 25 October to 6.30 a.m. of 26 October, causing severe waterlogging. Jodhpur Park in Kolkata recorded more than 190 mm (7.5 in) between 4 am and 8 pm on 25 October.

### Bangladesh

In Betagi, Barguna District, a farmer was crushed to death by a falling tree due to the cyclone. The cyclone also destroyed seven houses and injured three people in Patuakhali District. A three-year-old boy drowned at a lake in Gangni, Meherpur District. Falling trees also destroyed some homes and schools in Kathalia.