After Cyclone Dana, the storm will pass, but resilience will stay.

Delhi 24 October (VNI) Cyclone Dana, a name that now reverberates through the hearts of those living on the eastern coast of India, is fast approaching the shores of Odisha and West Bengal.  As night falls, a storm unlike any other gathers its strength, threatening to strike with fury and leave behind the scars of destruction. In its path stand millions of lives, families huddling together, holding on to hope even as they are evacuated to safer grounds. More than five lakh people have been moved to shelter, but their hearts remain in their homes, their fields, their memories of normal days now overshadowed by uncertainty.

As the proverb goes, “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” And hope is what everyone clings to.Acoording to media reports,  the governments of West Bengal and Odisha have sprung into action, ensuring that every possible precaution is taken to save lives. Train services have been cancelled, flight operations suspended, and streets now eerily quiet as the coastal cities brace themselves for what is to come. Kolkata, the city of joy, woke up today not to its usual hustle and bustle but to dark skies, intermittent rains, and a sense of anticipation.

Cyclone Dana is no ordinary storm. According to IMD sources,the wind speeds, estimated to reach 100 to 110 kmph, with gusts touching 120 kmph, are fierce enough to uproot trees, tear down homes, and flood the streets. Yet, nature’s fury also brings with it the resilience of people. Odisha, known for having faced the worst of cyclones in the past, prepares once again. West Bengal too stands ready, with the memories of previous storms still fresh in many minds.

But amidst this preparation, one cannot help but think of the human spirit. Just as the wind swirls, bringing chaos, people circle around each other, offering comfort, support, and prayer. The cyclone may bring thunderstorms and gusty winds, but it also brings out the strength in communities. In the villages, fishermen have docked their boats, women gather to prepare for the long night ahead, and children, wide-eyed, wonder when the skies will clear again.

As night draws closer, the storm’s center moves steadily towards its destination, the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal. Close to Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port, the landfall is expected between 6 pm and midnight. The ocean churns violently, as if warning the land of its impending arrival. The rain intensifies, and the gusts of wind sweep through the fields, bending trees and stirring fears.

The proverb “After the storm comes the calm” feels distant now, but it is this calm that everyone hopes for. Behind the destruction that Cyclone Dana may bring lies the promise of recovery, of communities coming together to rebuild what the winds might take away. The rains will fall heavy, but they will eventually stop. The winds will howl, but they will eventually quiet down.

According to IMD sources, In Jharkhand, too, the storm’s effects will be felt. Heavy rainfall is expected in the Kolhan region, and an orange alert has been issued, warning of thunderstorms and strong winds. The storm, though fierce, reminds us of how interconnected we all are, how the same winds that tear down also rebuild in their own way.

As Cyclone Dana inches closer, let us remember that storms, no matter how severe, pass. They leave behind stories of both destruction and resilience. And in the face of adversity, the human spirit always rises, stronger than the winds that try to bring it down.