Cyclone alert: NDMA issues dos and don’ts list ahead of Tauktae landfall

Ahead of the landfall of Cyclone Tauktae near India’s west coast on May 18, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday issued a list of dos and don’ts for citizens of six states that are likely to get affected.

The advisory contains a list on how to prepare for the cyclone, what to follow when it makes its landfall, how prepare oneself and family for evacuation and post cyclone measures among others.

The advisory tells citizens to secure houses and finish necessary repairs before the landfall as well as to stock up on dry non-perishable food and batteries for emergency situations.

“Listen to the radio (All India Radio stations give weather warnings). Keep monitoring the warnings. This will help you prepare for a cyclone emergency. Pass the information to others. Ignore rumours and do not spread them; this will help to avoid panic situations. Believe in the official information,” it says.

#Cyclone | Don’t panic!
Be smart, be prepared for cyclone with these do’s ✅ and don’ts❌#CycloneTauktae #CycloneAlert #Kerala #Maharashtra #Gujarat #Karnataka #TamilNadu #Goa pic.twitter.com/N4wZXiBGKo

— NDMA India | राष्ट्रीय आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकरण ?? (@ndmaindia) May 15, 2021

For people staying in area under cyclone warning, the NDMA advises to stay away from low-lying beaches of areas close to the coast, getting to high ground before facing floods, to evacuate houses if in the danger of getting marooned, move valuables to upper floors to minimize flood damage and store small things which can fly away stored in a room.

“If the centre of the cyclone is passing directly over your house there will be a lull in the wind and rain lasting for half an hour or so during this time do not go out; because immediately after that, very strong winds will blow from the opposite direction,” the advisory says.

The must dos that the advisory suggests for evacuees is to pack essentials like medicines and baby food for a few days, remain calm and not worry about the property one’s leaving, find the nearest evacuation shelter and stay there until things are normal.

Most importantly, the NDMA advises people not to panic under any circumstances.

The Meteorological Department has predicted the cyclone to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and cross the Gujarat coast on May 18 morning.

The National Disaster Relief Force has deployed over 100 rescue teams for Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra, which are likely to face the fury of the cyclone.

Here’s the complete list of dos and don’ts issued by the NDMA.