Even before cyclone Phailin hits Odisha in less than three hours, it has claimed three lives. Two women and one man died as tree branches  fell on them due to gusty winds blowing at a speed of 150-200kmph.

About 18 fishermen are trapped in the sea near Paradip who had gone fishing. A rescue team consisting of Indian Oil Corporation Limited employees has been formed to rescue the fishermen. The team is headed by the revenue divisional commissioner, central division, Arabinda Padhee. Ironically, coast guard at Paradip refused to enter the sea and rescue the fishermen as they stated that the fishermen are in the middle of the storm. The state administration has ordered the police to trace the owner of the trawler and arrest him, which allowed the fishermen to venture into the sea for fishing.   

Meanwhile, Phailin is all set to hit the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast in not less than four hours. More than 10 villages near Gopalpur in Ganjam districts have been inundated and the tidal waves have breached areas near the coast. Recent reports said that the local people who were still being evacuated were taken by surprise and have been running helter skhelter. About 1.2 lakh people in Ganjam district alone have been evacuated and taken to higher areas for safety. About 3,61,117 people have been evacuated to safer places till now, said revenue and disaster management minister Surya Narayan Patro.

The state administration is shifting people staying within a radius of five kilometres of the coast of Odisha. He informed that people who were not willing have been forcibly evicted on Friday night. The district administration has been asked to monitor the situation closely. 

The Indian meteorological department (IMD) on Saturday gave cyclone warning number 16 for the Odisha coast, which is a “Red Message.” Cyclone Phailin is just 200 km away from the Gopalpur coast over westcentral and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal moving towards northwestwards during past four hours. The cyclone lay centred on Saturday over westcentral and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal near latitude 17.10 N and longitude 86.80 E, about 210km south-southeast of Paradip and 150 km southeast of Gopalpur. It would move northwestwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts between Kalingapatnam and Paradip, close to Gopalpur (Odisha) by evening of today as a very severe cyclonic storm approaching with a maximum sustained wind speed of 210-220 kmph. 

IMD has predicted rain and thundershower at most places over  Odisha during next 48 hours. Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places with isolated extremely heavy falls ( 25cm) would occur over districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda,  Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Bhadrak and Kendrapara in Coastal Odisha during next 48 hours and districts of interior Odisha from Sunday forenoon for subsequent 48 hours. 

IMD has advised for hoisting storm warning signals. Local Cautionary Signal Number Three (LC-III) has been replaced by Great Danger Signal Number Ten (GD-X) at Gopalpur and Puri ports and great danger signal number nine (GD-IX) at Paradip and Chandbali ports.

Squally winds speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph would prevail along and off Odisha coast during next six hours. It would increase in intensity with gale wind speed reaching 100-150 kmph from forenoon and 210-220 kmph along and off districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda,  Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Bhadrak and Kendrapara of Coastal Odisha at the time of landfall.  State of Sea along and off Odisha coast will be rough to very rough and will become gradually phenomenal by today evening. Storm surge with height of 3.0 to 3.5 meter above astronomical tide would inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha during landfall.

There will be extensive damage to kutcha houses and some damage to old buildings. IMD release said there will be large scale disruption of power and communication lines, disruption of rail and road traffic due to extensive flooding, potential threat from flying debris, flooding of escape routes and extensive damage to agricultural crops. 

The state administration has mobilised evacuation from coastal areas and are judiciously regulating of rail and road traffic. People in affected areas have been adviced to remain indoors during cyclone landfall.

Meanwhile, all trains running through Odisha and Andhra Pradesh has been cancelled for today. 

About 300 Army personnel have reached the state from Jharkhand. 28 teams of NDRF, ODRAF have been deployed in the vulnerable areas. About 29 teams of marines, 50 doctors, 10 helicopters and two AN 34 choppers have been kept on standby at Biju Patnaik International Airport of relief and rescue operations.

Deputy inspector general of police, S.S. Gularia said the 29 teams posted in vulnerable areas have are equipped with high frequency radio sets for coordinating with the control room set-up in Bhubaneswar. Quick response team have been kept on standby mode in case of any eventuality. Moreover, nine satellite phone have been given to the teams so that relief and rescue operations are not affected, Gularia added