Cyclone Dana’s peripheral impact did spare the coastal stretches of Digha, Shankarpur, Tajpur and Mandarmani of East Midnapore, where a considerable impact was feared, but the heavy rainfall caused substantial damage to areas in the district slightly away from the bay, such as Khejuri and Nandigram.

Countless trees were uprooted, at least 1,100 houses sustained damage and over 175 electricity poles were felled because of the torrential downpour. Those in olericulture and floriculture have taken a serious hit.

There was no direct flooding from the sea — albeit sea-bathing in the tourist hubs of the coastal district remains banned till Saturday. But the impact of the heavy rainfall has forced 10,000-odd people to stay in relief camps.

The district’s disaster management officer, Mrityunjoy Halder, said: “Numerous trees, electricity poles and mud houses were damaged by the cyclone. However, the heavy rain caused more damage in East Midnapore.”

“As various areas remain submerged, over 10,000 people who are in relief camps are expected to return home after the weather normalises, perhaps after Saturday,” he added.

Because of the damaged electricity poles, vast swathes of Nandigram, Khejuri and Egra have been without electricity, causing problems for residents who did not take shelter in the relief camps. Sources said around 400 mudhouses had been damaged by the cyclone in these three areas of East Midnapore.

A villager stands in front of his home damaged by the cyclone at Khejuri on Friday.

Santosh Badui, 32, a resident of Nijkasba near Khejuri, said: “Although the cyclone was not severe (on East Midnapore coast), countless homes, trees and electricity poles were destroyed by the winds and the rain.”

“Our area has been without electricity since last night... we are in trouble,” he added.

An official of the power department in the district said repairs couldn’t be properly undertaken through Friday because of the downpour.

“In some areas, repairs were carried out after the rainfall partially subsided. The situation is expected to normalise by tomorrow (Saturday),” he said.

Because of the rain, agriculture has suffered considerable damage in East Midnapore. Farmers who are in olericulture and floriculture have been the worst sufferers.

Narayan Chandra Nayak, general secretary of a local flower-grower-and-seller committee, said heavy rain and resultant flooding had caused significant damage to floriculture before Durga Puja.

“Again, so close to Kali Puja, because of this heavy rain from Cyclone Dana, there was a lot of damage to the flower cultivation in East Midnapore. The flower growers are suffering major losses and we are at sea with ways to compensate for the damage,” said Nayak.

East Midnapore district magistrate Purnendu Majhi said several trees had been damaged and electric posts uprooted.

"Trees and electric poles have been uprooted and several transformers damaged. We are repairing those on a war footing. Paddy on about 17,000 acres of land was damaged, while vegetables cultivated on 1,500 hectares were destroyed. Several villagers, who were staying in relief camps, returned home today (Friday)," Majhi said.

He added that the administration would decide on Saturday when tourists would be allowed to venture into the sea.