CYCLONE ‘SITRANG’: Strong winds damage school, 10 houses in Kiphire

•    Disrupts normal life in Kohima and Phek  
•    Rainfall activity to subside from October 26 

Morung Express News
Kiphire/Dimapur/Kohima | October 25 

With Cyclone ‘Sitrang’ making landfall in the early hours of October 25 in Bangladesh coast, strong winds and incessant rain associated with the cyclonic storm has destroyed a school building and rendered many homeless in Kiphire district while normal life was disrupted in Kohima and Phek. 

In Kiphire district, the lower-section of the Government High School in Phisami village district was blown by storm-forced winds and gales, leading to closure of the school on Tuesday. 

It was further informed that 10 households in the village were rendered homeless as their rooftops were blown away by the strong winds accompanied by incessant rain.

Properties destroyed included kitchens, rooms, granary, rice mill and garage.

The damaged GHS Phisami was constructed through the contribution from the villagers as temporary arrangement in 2018 after a fire accident razed the school building.

The village authorities have reported the incident to the concerned departments for early intervention and relief, it was learnt. 

Meanwhile,  Sitrang caused landslides, uprooted trees, ripped off the rooftop of homes, and affected crops in many locations in Kohima and Phek districts. 

However, no casualty or major damage to properties has not been reported at the time of filling this report.

In the State’s capital Kohima, strong wave of storm occurred around 2AM, waking up residents and compelling them to stay in vigil.  

Streets were littered with leaves and broken branches in the morning while Kohima city experienced power disruption for several hours on October 25. 

Some educational institutions in Kohima also announced closure on Tuesday as precautionary measure due to inclement weather.

In Southern Angami area, several trees have been uprooted around Jakhama area. In Viswema, it was informed that several paddy fields have been affected.

However, actual impact is yet to be ascertained.

In Phek district, the inclement weather caused landslides along the roads of Khomi, Mesulumi etc, causing inconvenience to commuters.

The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), based on forecasts the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and its regional centre in Guwahati, had informed earlier that State will be experiencing heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at most places due to cyclone 'Sitrang' and issued advisories. 

The IMD’s Regional Met Centre (RMC) Guwahati on October 22 had issued ‘Orange’ alert for Phek, Kiphire and Tuensang districts on October 25-26.

Sitrang makes landfall, weakens 
Meanwhile, the IANS news agency reported that at least 15 people were killed as cyclone Sitrang slammed the Bangladesh coasts and weakened to a tropical depression in the early hours of Tuesday. The figure may increase further as more rescue efforts and assessment continue.  

Deaths were reported in the districts of Barguna, Narail, Sirajganj and the island district of Bhol in Bangladesh, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, the IMD reported that Sitrang weakened into a ‘Deep Depression’ after crossing Bangladesh, further weakened into a Depression on 5:30 AM on October 25. 

It further weakened into a “Well Marked Low Pressure Area and lay centered over northeast Bangladesh and adjoining Meghalaya” at 8:30 AM on October 25, it updated. 

As it moves towards NE India, there were widespread moderate to heavy rainfall in the region on Tuesday.  

Many places in the region received 7 centimetre or more during 8:30 AM of October 24 to 8:30 AM of October 26, the IMD said. 

The highest amount received were in Meghalaya’s Mawphlang (25 cm) Pynursla (25 cm), Williamnagar (23 cm), Shora (22 cm); Shillong (21) and so on. 

In neighbouring Manipur’s the Ukhrul district received around 10 CM of rainfall during the period, forcing the organisers to call off the last two days of the ongoing North East Autumn Festival.

The seven-day festival kicked off on October 20 at Jorcheng, Lunghar village under Ukhrul District, and was scheduled to go on till October 26. 

However, from 8:30AM to 5:30PM on Tuesday, the IMD observed significant decrease in rainfall intensity  though there was rainfall at  most places over Arunachal Pradesh and Assam & Meghalaya; at a few places over Andaman & Nicobar Islands and at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura and Kerala & Mahe.

Meanwhile, in a positive sign, the IMD issued no “Weather Warning” from October 26 onwards.  

An update from the IMD on Tuesday evening  informed that the “Low Pressure Area over south Assam and adjoining areas of northeast Bangladesh & east Meghalaya has become less marked.”