Odisha cyclone: Early warning, targeted evacuation, minimised damage

So, what happened this time that the loss of human lives was much lower than that in a similar natural disaster in 1999? Information, preparation and pre-emptive action by the state and federal governments. “They seem to have done a very good job in terms of minimising the possibility of loss of life,” remarked UN Office for Disaster Reduction(ODRR) , commending the “pinpoint accuracy of the warnings” and the “targeted evacuation plan which resulted in 1.1 million people mainly moving to about 900 cyclone shelters”

In what can be described as one of the biggest human evacuation efforts in the face of a natural disaster, the Odisha government evacuated around 1.2 million people in a matter of 24 hours as Cyclone Fani hammered the east Indian coastal state May 3. The death toll stood at just 16, when only ten years ago the toll was in the range of 10,000.

Fani was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike Odisha since Phailin in 2013. Fani originated from a tropical depression that formed west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean April 26. Fani reached its peak intensity May 2, as a high-end extremely severe cyclonic storm, and the equivalent of a high-end Category 4 major hurricane.

So, what happened this time that the loss of human lives was much lower than that in a similar natural disaster in 1999? Information, preparation and pre-emptive action by the state and federal governments.

“They seem to have done a very good job in terms of minimising the possibility of loss of life,” remarked UN Office for Disaster Reduction(ODRR) , commending the “pinpoint accuracy of the warnings” and the “targeted evacuation plan which resulted in 1.1 million people mainly moving to about 900 cyclone shelters”.

Braced for the worst after the Indian Meteorological Department declared Super Cyclone Fani to hit Odisha in the first week of May, state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said “a record 1.2 million people were evacuated in 24 hours” claiming to have carried out the “biggest human evacuation in history”.

He hailed each and every one of the 45 million people involved in the entire process - the evacuees and rescuers - as he appreciated volunteers and officials working round the clock to pull off the feat.

Compare this to the around 10,000 lives that were lost in a similar super cyclone that hit Odisha in 1999. More than 200,000 animals were killed and 2.5 million people were marooned. Officials had then underestimated the super cyclone’s intensity and had miscalculated its path. There were not enough cyclone shelters in the state and the government machinery was mired in chaos and confusion. People were also unwilling to part with their personal belongings.

This time though, as Cyclone Fani barrelled past the Bay Bengal to hit Odisha, the state government made adequate preparations.

Cyclone Fani was one of the rarest summer cyclones, Chief Minister Patnaik said.

“Because of this rarity, tracking and prediction were challenging. Till 24 hours of landfall of the cyclone - one was not sure about the trajectory it was going to take,” Patnaik said.

Fani made landfall in Puri with a wind speed of more than 200 kmph and gusting speed of 240 kmph.

It tore apart critical infrastructure, especially power, telecom and water supply.

“Lakhs of trees were uprooted, blocking roads, breaking homes and damaging public infrastructure. In Puri district and parts of Khurda, electricity infrastructure has been totally devastated and we have the challenge of having to set up the entire electrification afresh,” Patnaik said.

The districts of Cuttack, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Nayagada have also been affected.

In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also closely monitored the situation since April 29.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian Coast Guard were put on high alert and placed at the disposal of state government authorities.

Regular warnings were issued from April 25 to fishermen not to venture into the sea and asking those at sea to return to coast.

India’s policy of minimising fatalities from cyclones has been proved by past performances as in Cyclone Phailin in 2013, when “famously the casualty rate was kept to as low as 45 despite the intensity of the storm,” ODRR spokesman Denis McClean said.