Cyclone lashes India, Bangladesh after 1.1M evacuated

NEW DELHI (AP) — Heavy rain and a high tide lashed parts of eastern India and neighboring Bangladesh as a cyclone pushed ashore Wednesday in an area where more than 1.1 million people have evacuated during a devastating coronavirus surge.

Cyclone Yaas already had caused two deaths and damaged homes as heavy rains pounded Odisha and West Bengal states before the storm began making landfall in the late morning.

The “very severe cyclonic storm” is packing sustained winds of 130-140 kilometers (up to 87 miles) per hour and gusts up to 155 kph (97 mph), the India Meteorological Department said. With the storm now almost fully on land, winds are expected to weaken by Wednesday evening.

In Bangladesh, thousands of people in 200 villages were marooned as their homes, shops and farms were flooded by tidal surges.

In southern Patuakhali district, more than 20 villages in Rangabali went underwater after two river embankments were washed away, said Mashfaqur Rahman, the area’s top administrator. He said at least 15,000 people had taken refuge in cyclone shelters.

In India, television images showed knee-deep water flooding the beachfront and other areas of Digha, a resort town in West Bengal. Wind gusts whipped palm trees back and forth, and overflowing water breached several river banks.