A massive storm lashed more than 10 villages near Dhunagiri and Bihpuria in Lakhimpur district this morning. Strong winds flattened dozens of houses, granaries, cowsheds, destroyed crops and uprooted many trees which also damaged houses. The uprooted trees cut off roads in many places and disrupted electricity in the area.
Ramchandra Hazarika, a village headman, said that the storm started around 5am. He also said that a storm of this nature was unprecedented and unseasonal. This type of storm has never been witnessed at this point in the year, some of the village elders explained.
Bijoy Doley, the secretary of the Village Disaster Management Committee (VDMC) of Dah Gharia village said that he had never experienced this type of severe storm in this season.
All these storm-hit villages are situated on the bank of the Subansiri river and are highly vulnerable to annual floods; but this year due to a drought in the state no heavy rain had occurred till today. Despite local communities being prepared to confront floods, unexpected storms such as these have devastating consequences.