Cyclone Titli

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Titli was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage to Eastern India and Bangladesh in 2018. The fifth named storm to form in the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, the storm developed from a low-pressure area that formed in the Andaman Sea on October 6. Over the next two days, the low pressure area entered the Bay of Bengal and became a depression on October 8, receiving the designation BOB 08 from the IMD. Afterward, the storm rapidly strengthened, becoming a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm on October 9, equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale (SSHWS). On October 11, Titli made landfall in eastern India at peak intensity, before weakening into a remnant low on the next day.

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Titli
Very severe cyclonic storm (IMD scale)
Category 3 tropical cyclone (SSHWS)
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Titli at peak intensity approaching Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on 10 October 2018.
FormedOctober 8, 2018
DissipatedOctober 12, 2018
Highest winds3-minute sustained: 150 km/h (90 mph)
1-minute sustained: 195 km/h (120 mph)
Lowest pressure972 hPa (mbar); 28.7 inHg
Fatalities85 total
Damage$920 million (2018 USD)
Areas affectedSouthern Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bangladesh
Part of the 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season

Meteorological history

Map plotting the track and the intensity of the storm, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale

On October 6, a low-pressure area formed in the Andaman Sea. Over the next two days, the disaster entered the Bay of Bengal and became a depression on October 8, receiving the designation BOB 08 from the IMD and further received the name 'Titli' as it intensified into a Cyclonic Storm. Afterward, the storm rapidly strengthened, becoming a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm on October 9, with the strength of a Category 3 major hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson scale (SSHWS). Between 4:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. IST on October 11 (23:00–00:00 UTC on October 10–11), Titli made landfall near Palasa, Andhra Pradesh, at peak intensity.[1] The storm weakened into a depression before entering West Bengal, wreaking havoc in some parts of South Bengal, and bringing torrential rain and gale-force wind.[2] Following landfall, Titli rapidly weakened, degenerating into a well-marked low on October 12.

Impacts

Titli killed at least 77 people in Odisha and left a couple of others missing, due to heavy flooding and landslides,[3] including a boy that drowned in a canal in Ganjam district.[4] Titli caused another 8 deaths in Andhra Pradesh, all in Srikakulam district.[5] Authorities estimated that 6,000 to 7,000 electrical poles were uprooted by Titli's strong winds. As a result, 400,000 to&nbso;500,000 people were without power in Andhra Pradesh. More than 300,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas in Odisha.[6] Titli caused major destruction to the East Coast railway, forcing the cancellation of at least six trains.[7] After the storm, 15 teams from the National Disaster Response Force, along with the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, were placed around Odisha.[4] Damage from flooding caused by Titli totaled at 3,673.1 crore (US$507 million) in Andhra Pradesh,[8] and ₹3,000 crore (US$413 million) in Odisha.[9]

See also

References

  1. "Report on cyclonic disturbances in the North Indian Ocean in 2018" (PDF). India Meteorological Department.
  2. "Cyclone Titli death toll rises to 62 in Odisha". Odisha Television Ltd. 2018-10-20. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
  3. "Titli toll 77; missing cases under lens". Orissa Post. October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  4. "Cyclone Titli HIGHLIGHTS: 12 dead in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal". IndianExpress. October 13, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  5. Stela Dey (October 11, 2018). "Cyclone Titli Live Highlights: 8 Dead In Andhra Pradesh, Bus Services Suspended". NDTV. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  6. "Cyclone Titli: Eastern India battered by deadly storm". BBC News. 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  7. "6 Trains Cancelled As Cyclone Titli Damages Railway Stations". NDTV. October 12, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  8. "Chandrababu Naidu urges fast release of aid to rehabilitate Titli victims". ANI. October 26, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  9. V Kamalakara Rao (October 24, 2018). "Support dries up for Srikakulam, Odisha after charity blitz in Kerala". Times of India. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
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