Cyclonic storm Phailin hit the east coast near Gopalpur in Odisha on Saturday night, triggering heavy rains and strong winds with speed reaching up to 200 km an hour while more than 500,000 people were shifted to safety in coastal Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Strong winds uprooted trees, electricity and communication poles and thatched roofs in coastal Odisha and north coastal Andhra. Seven deaths were reported from Odisha due to uprooting of trees and house collapse while there were no immediate reports of any casualty in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Phailin was said to be the worst cyclone in 14 years and next only to 1999 super cyclone, which had killed 10,000 people in Odisha.
