At least eight people died in storm-related incidents in Andhra Pradesh after Cyclone Titli made landfall in Odisha on Thursday, PTI reported. The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority said the storm caused major damage to crops and buildings in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts after heavy rain lashed the state on Wednesday.

Odisha Chief Secretary AP Padhi said the destruction caused by the storm in the state was less than expected. Special Relief Commissioner BP Sethi said Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts have been affected by the cyclone.

Over 3 lakh people were evacuated from low-lying areas in Odisha, Reuters reported.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office said six fishermen who ventured out to sea were killed in the storm. A 62-year-old woman died after an uprooted tree fell on her in Gudivada Agraharam village and a 55-year-old man died after a house collapsed in Rotanasa, the disaster management authority said.

Rescue personnel are attempting to guide two of the 67 boats that did not manage to return to the shore after venturing out to sea from Kakinada over the last few days, the Chief Minister’s Office said.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu arrived in Srikakulam on Thursday night to meet district authorities and review the situation, reported PTI.

The India Meteorological Department on Thursday said the cyclone would move in the north west direction and then “re-curve northeastwards” towards Gangetic West Bengal across Odisha. According to the weather department’s latest bulletin, the severe cyclonic storm has weakened to cyclonic storm. It is very likely to weaken into a deep depression in the next the six hours.

The Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Authority has issued an alert for high waves and strong winds and it will remain valid till 11.30 pm on Friday. Waves up to three metres are expected along the Bay of Bengal from Kakinada in East Godavari district to Baruva in Srikakulam. Wind speed of 50 to 70 kmph is also likely along the northern coast of Andhra Pradesh.

The storm has affected power supply, telecommunications network and road connectivity in many parts of the affected states. The Eastern Power Distribution Company said power supply to 4,319 villages and six towns was affected in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh.

Several flights have also been cancelled while the South Central Railway and East Coast Railway cancelled several trains and terminated others that had already begun their journeys.

The cyclone caused damage to 10,021 hectares of agricultural crops and 14,400 hectares horticulture crops in Srikakulam district.

The Odisha government has declared a two-day holiday from Thursday, The Hindu reported.

On Wednesday, the Centre deployed 21 teams from the National Disaster Response Force to Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal and put Army, Navy and Coast Guard on standby, The News Minute reported.

Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind took to Twitter to express his solidarity with the people affected by the storm. “I am confident local authorities and relief agencies will rise to occasion to help fellow citizens. The entire nation is with you,” Kovind tweeted.