Super Cyclone Phailin: East Coast India

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 13 Oct 2013 05:57

The storm shelters within 2-3 miles of population centers will be the main reason for less casualties this time around at least for coastal areas. There is all the rain to deal with further inland. Hope the news from there will be good as well.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 13 Oct 2013 06:08

Bade wrote:The storm shelters within 2-3 miles of population centers will be the main reason for less casualties this time around at least for coastal areas. There is all the rain to deal with further inland. Hope the news from there will be good as well.

These shelters are constructed in the last 30 years at least in AP. The worst cyclone that my generation remembers is the one in 1977. I remember traveling in a APSRTC bus from Vijayawada to a small village called as Bavidevarapalli which is just about 60-70km. I was very small but I still remember the corpses all across the route. We went to see if our relatives are alive or not. In that village except for about 600 or so. Those who clinged on to trees and few big homes survived.

But moving 800,000 folks is a historic event and India should be proud of its achievement. Casualities still will occur as there are a lot who don't go to shelters. Based on the initial news, it is kudos to Orissa too as they seems to have improved a lot after 1999 disaster.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Oct 2013 06:37

Theo ji, Bade saar would be able to say better but is there one accepted 'international scale' ?
I had a look at this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone_scales and it appears most systems are more similar to IMD's than otherwise.

Jhujar ji, highly unlikely that current DG of IMD ever spent time in CISF. perhaps you mean the commandant of NDRF, Prashant Dar ?

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 13 Oct 2013 06:41

Rahul M wrote:Theo ji, Bade saar would be able to say better but is there one accepted 'international scale' ?
I had a look at this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone_scales and it appears most systems are more similar to IMD's than otherwise.Jhujar ji, highly unlikely that current DG of IMD ever spent time in CISF. perhaps you mean the commandant of NDRF, Prashant Dar ?

I was talking about NDRF 's Rathord.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Oct 2013 06:44

ah, IG SR Rathore.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 13 Oct 2013 06:48

Rahul_M, Scale nomenclature in itself is not a problem. IMD of course has a long history being one of the oldest such organizations in the world. Besides, whatever one calls the storm by categorization it matters little to the public. But, it helps the administration in planning ahead. I am sure in the US they like to err on the side of caution if they have to when making evacuation plans, since it was already a massive storm and had to be taken seriously.

As it was being described by the weather channels in the US, the eyewall was going through some reformation so further strengthening was possible when the initial forecasts came out 48 hrs ago. Yes, all models will improve closer to landfall. I believe IMD also had to raise their wind speed estimates as it got closer.

Well IMD also uses the GFS model like the rest with some local ingredients thrown in.
http://www.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/dyna ... s_mslp.htm

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 06:49

Bade wrote:One of the interviews of the IMD chief that was available on NDTV, it felt a little condescending. He is addressing concerns of aam junta in a largely scientifically illiterate country. So he has to give answers more directly to the media, rather than poke fun at them for their ignorance. This is not a science class, but affects people's life and property. Though overall IMD did a better job this time around, but a few noticeable things were like how dismissive he was of international sources being quoted by the Indian media. The reason the media quotes the International agencies, is because they have made it easy for people to follow with regular updates and explanation.

1) He sounded kind of dismissive when someone in the media asked whether it was a Cat-5 storm, almost like he did not understand the question. I can understand his concern that local media are not using IMD's bulletins, but then IMD has to interact with them on a regular basis or make information easily available to the general public.

2) He claimed the IMD models for the local basin is best understood by IMD only. Not true since if you look at the amount of publications on Indian monsoons as an example in the literature, the reality is there are lot of experts outside of India. Besides, IMD folks have sent people out to learn more on the European and US modeling community's efforts to incorporate in theirs. Most of the storm tracking improvements on exact landfall have come from such interactions. He is way off the mark on that from what I have heard.

Bade, "International" here means US. There are no hurricanes in US and the only closest "International" system is Japaneese which is not widely known in International system.

So coming back to the "simplicity" of the US system., it was only after Katrina, that its scale got modified. So go easy on the criticism of IMD on whether its scale is simpler or not. It is nobody's case that it cannot be made simpler and it is a learning process. Unless you are condescending from your arm chair.

Now coming to media bimbos - they are bimbos because IMD's bulletins are available and sent via PTI all over the place. All it takes a reading and putting 2+2 together. And this has been in place since - 1984 - the system has evolved since INSAT. In fact the biggest success was when daily my grandmother was waiting for the INSAT picture to show up on the black and white TV so that she can speculate on crops and advice my uncle (and drive him crazy). So if a granny in a remote village gets it - what about this khata-peeta types journos? So yes IMD has to interact with journos, so also journos need to put in effort to be there - for example Rahul Kanwal was there and for that he gets my respects (grudgingly).

And you are being ~~extremely~~ condescending when you are criticizing IMD for making a confident statement about understanding of their own basins. Others may have insights and as well very good understanding of Indian basin., at the end of the day though IMD has the best understanding of their own backyard.

So ~~please get down your high horse and~~ see the advances we have made in 15 years., the last cyclone of 1999 - Orissa - then entire Government ran away (can you hazard who was in charge?) - should not the head of the government of Orissa be tried of Mass murder then? Or at least dereliction of duty? And look now - all eyes are on the scene and there is ample evidence overall the government of Orissa and IMD and the defences did a good job. Many kudos to them.

And yes, India is the largest operator of earth observation satellite systems. If you do not believe that, go argue with ISRO.

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 06:51

Bade wrote: I believe IMD also had to raise their wind speed estimates as it got closer.

IMD does not have hurricane hunters., those things give lot of inputs including better prediction of path and better reading on wind speeds.

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 06:53

Rahul M wrote:Theo ji, Bade saar would be able to say better but is there one accepted 'international scale' ?
I had a look at this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone_scales and it appears most systems are more similar to IMD's than otherwise.

Jhujar ji, highly unlikely that current DG of IMD ever spent time in CISF. perhaps you mean the commandant of NDRF, Prashant Dar ?

Rahul, even US system was complex and more like most other systems prior to Katrina. Katrina changed all that.

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 06:58

http://www.niticentral.com/2013/10/12/c ... 44763.html

Severe cyclonic storm Phailin made a landfall near Gopalpur coast in Odisha on Saturday evening with a wind speed of 200 kmph.

“Cyclone Phailin made its landfall very close to Gopalpur town around 9 pm and has just started crossing the coast in Odisha,” IMD Director General LS Rathore told reporters in New Delhi.

“Still there is scope the speed to go up as the cyclone will remain very severe for six hours. Post landfall, there will be no large change in the intensity,” he said, adding that for another 12 to 24 hours, there will be moderate rains in large parts of east India.

For a cyclone to fall under the Super Cyclone category, the wind speed should cross 220 kmph.

Rathore, however, denied that Phailin is a super cyclone. “It cannot be called a Super Cyclone. To fall under that category, the cyclone should cross the wind speed of 220 kmph,” he said.

The ‘eye’ or centre of the cyclone is estimated to be 15 kilometers in spread and its intensity will continue till Sunday morning, Met officials said.

Rathore said that the areas likely to suffer maximum damage are the stretch between Kalingaptam and Paradip while adding that Gopalpur will be the epicentre. “The very severe cyclonic storm will after six hours turn into cyclonic storm and then deep depression,” he said.

Darkness enveloped wide swathes of the coastal districts of Odisha, especially Ganjam, whose Gopalpur-on-sea was the entry point for the storm uprooting trees and electric poles.

People were forced to remain indoors by the pounding rains and vehicular traffic came to a grinding halt.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall were also widespread in the districts of Gajapati, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Bhadrak and Kendrapara in coastal region besides state capital Bhubaneshwar.

However, the extent of damage wreaked by the cyclone was not immediately available. Seven people were killed in Odisha in the heavy rains ahead of the storm.

Nearly six lakh people were evacuated, including 4.50 lakh in Odisha and over one lakh in Andhra Pradesh. Army, IAF, Navy, CRPF and National Disaster Response Force were positioned in areas vulnerable to the cyclone.

All trains between Howrah and Visakhapatnam have been suspended and power supply switched off along the Odisha coastline, and three coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh as a precautionary measure. Flights and trains from Odisha capital Bhubaneshwar have also been suspended.

At least 10 flights of Air India, Indigo and Jet Airways scheduled to arrive or take off from the airport here remained cancelled, director of Biju Patnaik International Airport Sarad Kumar said.

In Andhra Pradesh, 1,29,100 people from 294 villages in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts have been shifted to 115 relief camps. AP Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy late tonight reviewed the impact of the cyclone and directed the entire official machinery in the north coastal districts to remain on high alert through the night.

A high alert has been sounded in Srikakulam district in particular as rivers like Vamsadhara, Nagavali and Bahuda could be in spate because of heavy rains.

Most of the evacuated people have been sheltered in 500 specially-built cyclone camps in the two States. Each cyclone shelter can accommodate up to 1,500 people while their ground floors may be used as cattle shelters.

The National Disaster Management Authority said it had deployed nearly 2,000 National Disaster Response Force personnel in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.

Five lakh tonnes of foodgrains has been kept ready for distribution to the people in the affected region.

In West Bengal, disaster management, civil defence and rescue teams have been deputed in Digha, Shankarpur, Contai, Mandarmoni, Diamond Harbour and some areas of the Sundarban.

The MET office predicted heavy to very heavy rains at at some places over East and West Midnapore, North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Bankura, Burdwan and Purulia districts in the next 48-hours. Kolkata would experience light to medium rainfall.

(With inputs from agencies)

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Oct 2013 07:01

disha, that rude tone is decidedly not warranted. whatever be the merits of your argument, disagreement can be easily shown in a more amicable way. you of all people, a respected BRFite of long standing, should know that. I have no wish to warn you, kindly don't force my hand.

/as mod

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 13 Oct 2013 07:03

disha, I do not know why you are getting so worked up about.

More to chew on. Yes US has a global presence what to do onlee. Yes there are experts outside of India for the same basin, a lot many of them are Indian only (one sits in Florida) and many trained by IMD itself.

http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 07:08

^^ The above is now.

And this is then - 1999.

http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1624/16240220.htm

KILLER CYCLONE
A 'super cyclone' leaves death and destruction in its trail over large parts of coastal Orissa.

SUHRID SHANKAR CHATTOPADHYAY
in Orissa

NEVER before had Orissa experienced such a violent churning. The "super cyclonic storm" tore through the coastal districts on the morning of October 29 with a wind velocity of between 260 and 300 km an hour, and within hours the region was under several feet of water.

Within 48 hours, it was death and devastation all over the districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Puri, Bhubaneswar and Khurda. The casualties included thousands of human lives and tens of thousands of head of cattle. All forms of communications were disrupted, and Orissa remained largely cut off from the rest of the country.

C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
Paradeep township.

The storm, which slammed the Paradeep coast at 3 a.m. after ferociously swirling over the Bay of Bengal, was the second one to hit the State in a span of two weeks. Ganjam district was battered by a storm with a wind speed of 180 km an hour on October 17.

Paradeep Port Trust officials and the Jagatsinghpur district administration had sounded a red alert on October 28, warning of an impending cyclone of great intensity, which at that time lay centred 180 km southeast of Paradeep. Warnings were issued also to the administrations of the districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Nayagarh, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Balasore. The State government had instructed the administrations to evacuate people and stock relief materials. The Army's 120 Infantry Battalion had also been put on alert.

Despite all these, the government had no idea of the enormity of the crisis on hand. The authorities were aware that a cyclone had struck Paradeep but did not immediately know that tidal waves, rising up to 12 metres, had submerged several areas in Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts. The storm lasted 34 hours.

The earlier devastation caused to Ganjam district appeared negligible in comparison to the blow the "super cyclone" dealt. According to unofficial reports, at least 5,000 people have been killed in Paradeep alone. Whereas the Divisional Commissioner's office estimated the property loss in Ganjam at Rs.1,000 crores. Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang put the damage caused by the "super cyclone" at Rs.1,000,000 crores. In Ganjam, the cyclone and the rain that accompanied it paralysed the Gopalpur port, affected two million people in 18 blocks and damaged 1,500 villages. The "super cyclone" destroyed 25,000 houses in Gajapati, Khurda, Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts.

GIRIDHAR GAMANG and Revenue Minister Jagannath Patnaik undertook an aerial survey of the affected areas. Patnaik, who personally oversaw the relief operations in some areas, told Frontline: "Such large-scale devastation has never been witnessed before in the whole of India. The cyclone has affected over two crore people and destroyed 30 lakh kutcha houses, rendering millions of people homeless. Roofs made of asbestos, tin sheets and tiles have been blown off. All agricultural land has gone under water, and saline water has entered the fields in many areas. In the marine belt, the prawn and fishing industry has collapsed."

Gamang told Frontline: "The loss of cattle has been enormous. I saw the devastation from the helicopter." The State government on November 5, submitted a report to the Centre seeking a preliminary assistance of Rs.2,500 crores for rebuilding the socio-economic and administrative infrastructure. The total cost of this is projected at Rs.10,000 crores.

TENS of thousands of people camped on highways (two National Highways had breached, affecting road traffic) and rail bridges. Railway tracks in several places had been uprooted or washed away. Uprooted trees blocked all land approaches to the affected areas. Road links to Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur and Bhadrak districts were cut off. Only wireless communication was possible to Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur. Jagatsinghpur suffered extensive damage as sea water overwhelmed vast areas. The spectre of epidemics loomed over the district, as five lakh people lived in the marooned villages amidst decomposed bodies and carcasses.

SUSHANTO PATRONOBISH
Paradeep port, which bore the brunt of the cyclone that slammed the coast on October 29 with a wind velocity of 260 to 300 km per hour.

In Paradeep, villagers and also Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawans posted in Paradeep Phosphate Ltd claimed that the human toll in the region would be not less than 8,000. (Unofficial reports have put the toll in Paradeep at 15,000. The official figure, however, stands at 1,381.)

Several tugs and trawlers sank off the Paradeep port. Tiny villages along the coast have been turned into lakes, blotting out all signs of human inhabitation. The entire Paradeep region was under water. Debris of houses were found floating in the water. Bodies were found trapped under the debris. As the waters began to recede, the stench of putrefied bodies and carcasses pervaded the air. The Paradeep creek reeked with bloated bodies. Earthmovers and dumpers scooped them up, while Port Trust workers cremated them. The survivors, meanwhile, looked around frantically for food.

The PPL itself is facing a crisis. R.C. Mota, Plant Manager, told Frontline that at least Rs.100 crores would be required to cover the cost of damage caused to property and machinery. Power supply to the affected areas was disconnected. R.K. Das, PPL's Regional Director, said: "The Air Force provided two generators that served only 10 per cent of the premises. We need an 11-kv generator of 1.2 to 2 MW capacity to control the pressure in the ammonia tank in normal conditions. In view of the atmospheric condition, we release small amounts of ammonia into the air."

Das said that the situation at PPL was grim. "Our hospital is filled with outsiders who have sought shelter. I am fighting an epidemic here. As it is we have to feed 2,700 people (PPL workers and their families) and on top of that 5,000 outsiders have entered the premises. They snatch whatever food is brought for us. If food is brought via road, villagers rob the vehicles."

C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
Railway tracks twisted out of shape by the impact of the cyclone and the torrential rain that accompanied it. Many passengers were stranded after rail links were cut off.

Along the 150-km stretch between Paradeep and Bhubaneswar, hundreds of people waited for an occasional vehicle coming that way with food. Uprooted trees and electricity and telegraph poles lined the entire stretch.

The silver city of Cuttack, which was under knee-deep water, suffered because of its basin-like topography. The city could not discharge the run-off rain water as the two rivers that flanked it had reached the danger level. It was plunged into darkness, with the electricity supply disrupted. Large areas of Cuttack district remained inaccessible even seven days after the storm crossed the coast, with blocks such as Niali-Kantapara, Govindpur, Baranga, Banki, Yigiria, Athgarh, Mahanga, Salepur and Nischintkoli still flooded. The toll in the district is expected to be around 300. An epidemic broke out in Govindpur.

Cuttack was luckier than Kendrapara district. From 500 metres above ground level, it appeared like a cluster of islands. What were land routes until October 29 are now navigated by boats. Hungry people scampered on sighting an Air Force chopper, hoping to receive some relief.

The picture was no better in the Chandheli region in Bhadrak district: access to the survivors was only by boats. With their rooftops torn off, the victims lived amidst floating carcasses, exposed to disease. While food was air-dropped, drinking water was unavailable.

C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
An aerial view of a village which was destroyed completely near Berhampur.

The situation in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts worsened as a result of flash floods in the Baitarani, the Brahmani, the Subernarekha and several other rivers. In Bhadrak district, the Kansa Bansa and Salandi rivers washed away more than 50 villages. Bijayshree Routray, who represents Basudevpur in the State Assembly, told Frontline: "Thousands of people and over 30,000 head of cattle have been killed."

Balasore district was cut off owing to the breaching of National Highway Number 5 and the railway line. However, the missile launching pad at Chandipore-on-sea was not affected.

More than 2.5 lakh families in Jagatsinghpur district were rendered homeless and 1.5 lakh head of cattle affected. With relief not reaching all parts of the district, it is reported that the starving people are eating cattle fodder. In Erasma, at least 30 people are reported to have died of starvation. In Jajpur district, 15.5 lakh families were affected. In Puri, the number of deaths was officially estimated at 151. More than 5,000 tourists were reported to be stranded in the district.

In Keonjhar district, 40 villages were marooned. More than 10,000 people sought shelter in relief camps. Bridges over the Singhei and Kusei rivers in the district collapsed. The State highway between Keonjhar and Cuttack was cut off, with the Kusei changing course near Anandpur.

A body being loaded on to a dumper near Paradeep.

Bhubaneswar, considered one of the greenest cities in the country, was a shambles. It appeared the city was in the middle of a war zone - trees were uprooted, buildings damaged, lamp posts broken, houses smashed, hoardings torn off, fences broken, cars wrecked and parks destroyed.

Seven days after the cyclone hit the State, rail communication had not been restored completely and inundated roads not cleared for traffic. Indeed, Orissa appears to have a long haul ahead.

BTW do people here know Giridhar Gamang? I hope so!

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 07:21

Bade wrote:disha, I do not know why you are getting so worked up about. More to chew on. Yes US has a global presence what to do onlee. Yes there are experts outside of India for the same basin, a lot many of them are Indian only (one sits in Florida) and many trained by IMD itself.

http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/

Problem is not US's global presence. Problem is in India, there is "America this" and "America that" and desis laugh at their own desis and bring in American idioms even when the context is totally idiotic.

For example - one TV channel was constantly blaring "India's Katrina" even before the cyclone made landfall - heck it was "America's Orissa moment" when Hurricane Katrina struck.

And do those poor people on the ground care what is "India's Katrina" or not? Should it not be the responsibility of the journo (and the staff and the channel itiyadi) to actually do some ground work?*

I am no met expert, but I do empathize with the local people (been to Icchapuram BTW) and what matters to them. Calling it a super-cyclone right out of the gate could have been counter-productive. The local staff might have run away if they are reminded of the Orissa cyclone.

*And I have extremely low opinion of all media and even lower of current crop of Indian media persons. My last fav. media person is Chitra S. So yes, I am one generation back. BTW Rahul K has redeemed himself a lot today.

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 07:28

Rahul M wrote:disha, that rude tone is decidedly not warranted. whatever be the merits of your argument, disagreement can be easily shown in a more amicable way. you of all people, a respected BRFite of long standing, should know that. I have no wish to warn you, kindly don't force my hand.

/as mod

Agree.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 13 Oct 2013 07:32

>> BTW do people here know Giridhar Gamang? I hope so!

oh dear.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 13 Oct 2013 07:37

^^^ Saar, there is no point in whining too much along those lines. We all understand that, but the American influence is there for many reasons. I do not think Indian media covered the many hurricanes like Andrew, Hugo or ones before that even. I distinctly remember when I was affected by the Northridge quake my family was not even aware of it till I called them to tell them that I was safe. Katrina happened at a time when there were more Indians traveling to the US or living in the US. All this influence is a direct result of that. Yes with more interaction and commerce some influences creep in, beginning with accent, diction etc. All this is off-topic to this thread.

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 07:40

5 Years after Orissa Super-Cyclone of 1999

http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2 ... 204600.htm

THE STATES

The agony of the living

PRAFULLA DASin Ersama

Unable to come to terms with the loss of relatives and property, many survivors of the super-cyclone that hit Orissa in 1999 continue to suffer from psychological trauma and suicidal impulses.

PRAFULLA DAS

The family of Laxmi Mandal of Ajgarbedi village, who has been traumatised by the loss of her parents and a life of misery after the 1999 cyclone.
IT is five years since a super-cyclone ripped apart coastal Orissa. But no sign of the catastrophic impact of that event is externally visible in Ersama block in Jagatsinghpur district, which now presents a picture of tranquillity and beauty. Lush green paddy fields, prawn culture ponds, patches of casuarina plantations and hamlets add to the lovely setting. But beneath it all, thousands of cyclone survivors are living lives of penury, uncertainty and psychological distress.

With the authorities focussing only on brick and mortar construction, psychosocial rehabilitation of the survivors has taken a back seat. The result is that as many as 59 people have committed suicide during the past five years in Ersama block alone. The victims belong to the 14-35 age group, and were mostly women and girls. The disturbing fact came to light when the Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and Sneha Abhiyan, an initiative of ActionAid, conducted recently a survey for the Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) on the mental health problems in Ersama.

Ersama was the ground zero of the super-cyclone that hit the State on October 29, 1999, washing away lakhs of houses and leaving thousands of people dead in as many as 12 coastal districts (Frontline, November 26, 1999). Of the 9,000-odd lives that were lost, Ersama block accounted for more than 8,000.

In fact, the number of cyclone survivors who committed suicide could be higher. The NIMHANS-ActionAid survey covered only 11 of the total 25 gram panchayats in Ersama block - precisely, 15,004 respondents from 2,615 households in 72 villages of the block - and hence there were no data available on the mental health of the survivors in the remaining 14 gram panchayats.

ASHOKE CHAKRABARTY

A malnourished boy in Garaharishpur village in Ersama block, Jagatsinghpur district, Orissa.
The survey showed that a staggering 11 per cent of the respondents expressed the wish to die. Those who committed suicide were primarily victims of post-traumatic stress disorders such as restlessness, flashbacks and sleep disturbances. Some others ended their lives because they were plagued by the guilt that they survived when their loved ones were washed away by the huge sea waves that accompanied the storm.

The study found that of the total respondents, 2,048 were mentally ill. The impact of the disaster was significantly higher among widows, illiterates and those who suffered multiple losses such as the loss of kin, livelihood, property and livestock.

"It is not only the disaster that triggered the suicides, but the subsequent life events," said Dr. K. Sekar, a psychiatrist working with NIMHANS. The suicide rate in Ersama was four times that in a normal community, he said.

According to Dr. Sekar, rehabilitation and reconstruction alone will not help. The psychosocial problems facing the cyclone survivors have to be addressed with equal zeal. Mental health camps could be organised jointly by NIMHANS and ActionAid at different places in Ersama if the State government provided necessary support and arranged to send a team of psychiatrists from the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, he suggested.

PRAFULLA DAS

Saraswati Mandal of Khuranta village with her daughter Lipika. A cyclone widow, she has said no to remarriage and is bringing up her daughter alone.
THE tales of sorrow in Ersama have varied shades. In Noliasahi hamlet in Gadakujang gram panchayat, 57-year-old Bhabi Behera attempted suicide twice by hanging herself from a tree but her neighbours saved her both times. She was not able to cope with the loss of her house and belongings in the cyclone. A voluntary organisation is now helping her to recover from stress.

But no one was able to save 42-year-old cyclone widow Sandhya and her 16-year-old daughter Kuni in Sarabapata village. Sandhya had lost her husband and two daughters in the cyclone. She and Kuni failed to cope with the losses and were depressed despite being allotted a dwelling unit by a voluntary organisation. Kuni hanged herself to death last year after a quarrel with her mother, and Sandhya ended her life a few months ago by setting herself on fire.

The loss of her parents and a life full of misery were the possible factors that turned Laxmi Mandal of Ajgarbedi village mentally ill a few months ago. Laxmi once tried to bury one of her children near her hut, but the child was saved by her neighbour Sukanta Sahu. The mother of four is now undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

Laxmi's family is landless and has no source of income. Her husband Manoranjan Mandal is not able to go to work because he has to take care of the children and also see that Laxmi does not cause any harm to herself or the children. Of the four children, three were born after the cyclone.

The family has not been allotted a house under the Indira Awas Yojna (IAY) because it does not possess a below poverty line (BPL) card. With no food at home, the family approached the local sarpanch for help but in vain. {So isn't the state pushing one family into penury just because they do not have the "right" card?}

Life has been the hardest for women who lost their husbands to the cyclone. Many young widows remarried after the cyclone as they were beseeched by suitors lured by the compensation they received in lieu of the death of their near and dear. Each death fetched Rs.75,000. But many of the men who married the women blew the money, and deserted them.

Some young widows, however, seem to have learnt from the mistakes of others. Saraswati Mandal of Khuranta village spurned all offers of remarriage and instead decided to parent Lipika, her eight-year-old daughter, alone. "I will not marry to suffer like other widows," she said. Renubala Mandal, another cyclone widow, is bringing up her two daughters single-handedly.

Many families that survived the cyclone remain homeless. The State government had obtained the Centre's approval for the construction of eight lakh IAY houses after the super-cyclone. However, the administration has not been able to cover the homeless families even in Ersama.

"There have been serious irregularities in the allotment of IAY houses. While a large number of poor families have not been allotted houses under the scheme for want of BPL cards, many affluent families have got these houses by managing to secure such cards," said members of Jana Kalyan Parishad, a voluntary organisation run by a group of cyclone survivors in Kunjakothi gram panchayat. The State government has ordered an inquiry into several such cases of irregularity.

Lack of supervision by the authorities has resulted in the non-completion of thousands of IAY houses in Ersama block. Many families have spent the money allotted for the house construction for purposes such as a daughter's marriage or buying bullocks. As a result, almost every village in Ersama has half-built IAY houses. {Should not the government also provide a separate loan for buying bullocks? Livelihood. And a soft loan for daughter's marriage if necessary}

Trying to earn a livelihood by fishing. Thousands of cyclone survivors are leading lives of penury and psychological distress.

The less said about the public distribution system (PDS) in Ersama the better. The only commodity available at the PDS outlets here is kerosene. The quantity of rations also varies from village to village. The authorities have also failed to bring all the vulnerable villages under the Integrated Child Development Scheme. {some do try to commit suicide by drinking kerosene!!}

While many multi-purpose cyclone shelters have been constructed close to the block headquarters, such shelters are not visible in several vulnerable pockets. Lack of proper roads have made the transporting of building materials to far-flung villages a problem. Electricity connection is yet to be restored in 30-odd villages in Ersama block. {Blow to modi, 5 years hence! - had to say that}

The authorities have done little to help the survivors overcome the psychological trauma and rebuild their lives. Hundreds of voluntary organisations had flocked to Ersama after the disaster, but only a few continued working in the block.

So the next step for us jingoes is to hope for the best, prepare for the worst and slowly open up purse strings for long term rehabilitation. That is when the most interest of donors wane! Since it is tough.

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 07:46

Bade wrote:^^^ Saar, there is no point in whining too much along those lines. We all understand that, but the American influence is there for many reasons. I do not think Indian media covered the many hurricanes like Andrew, Hugo or ones before that even. I distinctly remember when I was affected by the Northridge quake my family was not even aware of it till I called them to tell them that I was safe. Katrina happened at a time when there were more Indians traveling to the US or living in the US. All this influence is a direct result of that. Yes with more interaction and commerce some influences creep in, beginning with accent, diction etc. All this is off-topic to this thread.

Well you heard what you wanted to hear and called it whining!

Anyway, thrust was not on "american soda-pop influences like yoga on indian society"., point was that Indian technical institutions deserve better respect than several American technical institutions. There is an element of hidden condescension of Indian technical Institutions and more so among desis (here and there) then in Americans themselves!!

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 07:47

Rahul M wrote:>> BTW do people here know Giridhar Gamang? I hope so!

oh dear.

After that shredding a pillow also does not help!

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 07:53

Some excellent ideas here ...

http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/TwUKgDd ... inist.html

Odisha could have prepared better for cyclone
Governments can do little to stop a cyclone, but they can definitely prepare to mitigate their impact

Updated: Sat, Oct 12 2013. 10 16 PM IST
Though it is Maha Ashtami today, the beautifully bedecked images of the goddess Durga in Cuttack city have few worshippers. Ardent devotees are holed up in houses, anxiously watching news channels about the progress of the dreaded, very severe cyclonic storm Phailin (Thai for sapphire). Since noon on Saturday, incessant rains followed by gusts of howling winds have heralded the imminent arrival of Phailin as it tears through the Bay of Bengal, churning the bay in a cataclysmic whirlwind packing the force of several nuclear bombs.
The approaching nemesis
The monsoon in 2013 has been unusual in Odisha. Spells of dry weather have been punctuated by heavy rains caused by low-strength depressions. A hot and humid climate had made life uncomfortable, which was surprising as the land mass usually cooled off in July after heavy monsoon showers.
Phailin is already categorized as Category 4 storm with wind speeds of 240km per hour, a notch below the 1999 disaster. The 1999 super cyclone was Category 5 as it had wind speed in excess of 250km/hour. A tidal surge of 10-12ft is also expected. By 6-8pm on Saturday evening, Phailin will strike near Gopalpur, the salubrious seaside holiday spot in Ganjam district.
Bay cyclones and devastation
The Bay of Bengal is no stranger to cyclones as its peculiar topography acts like a funnel for cyclones. As they form and move towards the coast, they gather strength being squeezed between the land mass comprising the Indian coast on the west side with Bangladesh to the north and Myanmar to the east. Due to the constricted path, the winds get stronger and stronger as their forces play out on progressively lesser ocean surface before landfall.
Out of the 35 deadliest tropical cyclones of the world, the Bay of Bengal has recorded 26, which is disproportionately high. Tropical cyclones can cause tremendous loss of human lives and property. The Great Boha Cyclone of November 1970 led to the loss of an estimated 300,000-500,000 lives in Bangladesh. This was followed by the 1971 cyclone on the Odisha coast leading to the loss of more than 9,000 lives. The Odisha super cyclone of 1999 led to the loss of more than 9,500 human lives apart from countless cattle deaths and the loss of nearly 90 million trees. There was an estimated damage of $2.5 billion (at 1999 prices).
Horrifying memories of the 1999 super cyclone are still vividly etched in people’s minds. An ill-prepared administration could do little to save lives. No evacuations took place and regular bulletins were absent. Neither were there cyclone shelters or pucca buildings in the coastal villages for shelter. A massive relief and reconstruction undertaking that lasted for several years was carried out. It took millions in aid money to restore normalcy and rebuild houses and public infrastructure such as power stations, poles, roads, bridges, schools and hospitals that had been battered flat. Fortunately, we are in a vastly different position compared with the woeful state of preparedness in 1999, given the fact that nearly 500 cyclone shelters and hundreds of thousands of pucca private buildings have come up in coastal villages.
The changing monsoon pattern is a sure indicator of climate change caused by increased emission of greenhouse gases due to the high dependency upon fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. It is also unfortunate that governments across the world, including the Indian government, are refusing to act though.
Gaps in cyclone mitigation

It is true that governments can do little to stop a cyclone, but they can definitely prepare to mitigate their impact. The Odisha State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA), which was set up in 2000, has been a blundering and incompetent monolith. No visible preparatory measures have been taken. No tidal surge modelling studies were conducted to assess the extent of inundation given a particular wind speed and storm surge values, which could have generated vital information for the local administration.

Right now, a clueless government is carrying out evacuation en masse all over the coast in the four districts of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur. This means displacement, providing shelter, and feeding of nearly half a million people, an enormous task. Besides, there has been no preparations for emergency feeding of livestock for which fodder is required.
No effort had been made to link up with youth clubs, the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and the National Service Scheme (NSS) in colleges so that a readymade, well-trained volunteer army of several thousand are available for rescue and relief work. The first state-level non-governmental organization coordination meeting took place on 10 October, just two days before the strike date.
Destroying natural coastal protection measures
The natural barriers that were present on the Odisha coast such as mangroves and huge sand dunes have been mostly destroyed. Illegal shrimp farms have replaced mangroves in most coastal districts such as Puri, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur. Huge sand dunes more than 80ft in height that could quell tidal surges and tsunamis, and break high-speed winds were common in the early 1970s on the Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Puri coasts. These sand dunes were flattened, thanks to beach plantations of casuarina trees after the 1971 cyclone. These soft-wood trees snapped like matchsticks during the 1999 cyclone, yet the mistake was repeated with the forest department spending crores of rupees on such plantations, including the turtle nesting areas on the Devi river and Rushikulya river mouth.
The ill-planned development of 12 new ports is going to be another disaster for the Odisha coast as they are going to disrupt the coastal processes leading to avoidable erosion in many beaches. Hundreds of thousands of trees were felled for the Posco steel plant near Dhinkia and Gobindpur coast, thereby paving the way for high-speed winds to blow away the fragile houses of residents. This mega steel project could have been located far inland in barren land such as Kalinganagar had the government appreciated the need to protect such near-coast tree cover.

Biswajit Mohanty is an environmentalist based in Cuttack, Orissa and a former member of the National Board for Wildlife.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 13 Oct 2013 08:08

We people like Marri Shashidhar Reddy at the top positions with no background other than being son of a congress leader, we can not manage disasters of this kind. In AP which regularly gets hit by cyclone the administration is having more exposure and systems and procedures are in place. But 1999 Odissa is bad in administration and not much exposure and this resulted in a major tragedy. But we hope the administration is better now. Deaths will be reporTed soon and hope media acts responsibly.

In respect of India's Katarina Samurai Gupta is Indian Nepolian and Neapolitan is not Samudra Gupta of France. Boot licking is second nature odd English media. We all know it.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 13 Oct 2013 09:21

Disaster and Opportunity.
Use this experience in mobilisation and sheltring people etc and heed the Old Doc's advice in start making preparation for handling huge disaster in case of Nuclear war with Idioticshittan next door.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2013 09:53

Rahul M wrote:>> BTW do people here know Giridhar Gamang? I hope so!

oh dear.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2013 10:07

AP remained largely unaffected except for Srikakulam. Eye made movement North North West after land fall and large parts of Odisha got affected. No casualty in AP. None reported in Odisha so far. Trees have fallen down and road clearing work is going on. Starting with Highways and state road.

Prediction of IMD was almost to the dot and one can not fault them on this. Kudos to them. I still remember when American Idiots from State Dept denied Cray X-MP Super Computer for weather forecasting and modelling and India was forced to develop its own befire curbs were eased for the fear of losing the lucrative market. Out of 36 super/ severe cyclones 21 happened in Bay of Bengal , so give our guys some credit. They certainly know better than them. And yes authorities have known the severity and even public was aware of it. Now their preparedness shows. Kudos to Naveen Patnaik and his team Well Done Sir, NDRF teams are doing great job and deserves our appreciation. Next few days will be crucial and power needs to be restored. Emergency and general medical services need that to function properly. Area sanitation will be required after few days to avoid epidemic.

Return of people and restoring normalcy to day to day life will have to be done. Reconstruction and immediate relief for poor, who would be worst affected, is needed as their houses would have been blown away. This is times to do good rehab work and provide them with pucca houses under so many schemes already available.

NDMA says impact lower than expected. I say thanks to IMD, RDM, NDRF

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 13 Oct 2013 10:09

the sense I got from watching the IMD press conf last night was the vast majority of the media have no idea even what the eye of the cyclone is. thats our level. govt agencies have to talk to these people which must be very frustrating.
a steady diet of fake "breaking news" and "modi shouted, modi slept, modi gave hitler salute" means only the rock bottom intellects need apply or stick around.

gakakkad · Post by **gakakkad** » 13 Oct 2013 10:16

"eye of a storm" is a popular English language idiom (or cliché I should say) ,it is sharam,sharam onlee that media people don't know about it...and they have used the phrase countless times w.r.t modi .

.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2013 10:20

disha wrote:
Bade wrote:disha, I do not know why you are getting so worked up about. More to chew on. Yes US has a global presence what to do onlee. Yes there are experts outside of India for the same basin, a lot many of them are Indian only (one sits in Florida) and many trained by IMD itself.

http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/
Problem is not US's global presence. Problem is in India, there is "America this" and "America that" and desis laugh at their own desis and bring in American idioms even when the context is totally idiotic.

For example - one TV channel was constantly blaring "India's Katrina" even before the cyclone made landfall - heck it was "America's Orissa moment" when Hurricane Katrina struck.

And do those poor people on the ground care what is "India's Katrina" or not? Should it not be the responsibility of the journo (and the staff and the channel itiyadi) to actually do some ground work?*

I am no met expert, but I do empathize with the local people (been to Icchapuram BTW) and what matters to them. Calling it a super-cyclone right out of the gate could have been counter-productive. The local staff might have run away if they are reminded of the Orissa cyclone.

*And I have extremely low opinion of all media and even lower of current crop of Indian media persons. My last fav. media person is Chitra S. So yes, I am one generation back. BTW Rahul K has redeemed himself a lot today.

My fav too. She brought generational changes in India Politics.

Journos were plain illiterate ignorant blabbering lot. Didn't know or talk about cyclone much just showing some dark screen and blabbering.

IMD never classified it as Super Cyclone despite pressure snd sensationlisation. Though we were lucky as Cyclone did not hover over the area and moved away. Impact from VSCSand Super Cyclone are not much different basically. Storm surge was less 3 to 3.5 mts that caused less inundation. IMD's classification has improved over the years and with learning and experience. This cyclone showed extreme coordination and good work by all that helped in minimising casualties. Only seven reported that too before landfall.

And all staff are not deployed. After tsunami a district and state manual is prepared and updated and mock drills are held every now and then. Only staff tasked for specific duties are allowed to remain in the area and rest are evacuated.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2013 10:26

gakakkad wrote:"eye of a storm" is a popular English language idiom (or cliché I should say) ,it is sharam,sharam onlee that media people don't know about it...and they have used the phrase countless times w.r.t modi . .

I have been in eye of storm three or four times. Wind , first in one direction , anti clock wise with increasing ferocity, then eerie calm as if everything is allright and then it breaks out again clock wise with highest ferocity to decreasing intensity bringing much rain in the wake. Calm period is when eye is passing over and makes one feel reassured. You need cyclone to fell an old banayan tree which would bring change saar. Let Congis feel dull sense of reassurance before electoral fury breaks over again.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2013 10:35

disha wrote:
Bade wrote:One of the interviews of the IMD chief that was available on NDTV, it felt a little condescending. He is addressing concerns of aam junta in a largely scientifically illiterate country. So he has to give answers more directly to the media, rather than poke fun at them for their ignorance. This is not a science class, but affects people's life and property. Though overall IMD did a better job this time around, but a few noticeable things were like how dismissive he was of international sources being quoted by the Indian media. The reason the media quotes the International agencies, is because they have made it easy for people to follow with regular updates and explanation.

1) He sounded kind of dismissive when someone in the media asked whether it was a Cat-5 storm, almost like he did not understand the question. I can understand his concern that local media are not using IMD's bulletins, but then IMD has to interact with them on a regular basis or make information easily available to the general public.

2) He claimed the IMD models for the local basin is best understood by IMD only. Not true since if you look at the amount of publications on Indian monsoons as an example in the literature, the reality is there are lot of experts outside of India. Besides, IMD folks have sent people out to learn more on the European and US modeling community's efforts to incorporate in theirs. Most of the storm tracking improvements on exact landfall have come from such interactions. He is way off the mark on that from what I have heard.
Bade, "International" here means US. There are no hurricanes in US and the only closest "International" system is Japaneese which is not widely known in International system.

So coming back to the "simplicity" of the US system., it was only after Katrina, that its scale got modified. So go easy on the criticism of IMD on whether its scale is simpler or not. It is nobody's case that it cannot be made simpler and it is a learning process. Unless you are condescending from your arm chair.

Now coming to media bimbos - they are bimbos because IMD's bulletins are available and sent via PTI all over the place. All it takes a reading and putting 2+2 together. And this has been in place since - 1984 - the system has evolved since INSAT. In fact the biggest success was when daily my grandmother was waiting for the INSAT picture to show up on the black and white TV so that she can speculate on crops and advice my uncle (and drive him crazy). So if a granny in a remote village gets it - what about this khata-peeta types journos? So yes IMD has to interact with journos, so also journos need to put in effort to be there - for example Rahul Kanwal was there and for that he gets my respects (grudgingly).

And you are being ~~extremely~~ condescending when you are criticizing IMD for making a confident statement about understanding of their own basins. Others may have insights and as well very good understanding of Indian basin., at the end of the day though IMD has the best understanding of their own backyard.

So ~~please get down your high horse and~~ see the advances we have made in 15 years., the last cyclone of 1999 - Orissa - then entire Government ran away (can you hazard who was in charge?) - should not the head of the government of Orissa be tried of Mass murder then? Or at least dereliction of duty? And look now - all eyes are on the scene and there is ample evidence overall the government of Orissa and IMD and the defences did a good job. Many kudos to them.

And yes, India is the largest operator of earth observation satellite systems. If you do not believe that, go argue with ISRO.

I agree with your views and facts stated.

Lilo · Post by **Lilo** » 13 Oct 2013 10:40

Cyclone scales differ because the infrastructure is quantitatively different - rural India having thatched huts, kuttcha houses,one storied houses - mud roads and little electrical or communication wiring (as of say 70s and even today) would have devised completely different thresholds of wind load to jump from one category to another compared to West .
Its nowhere near "some babu" coming up with arbitrary numbers from his behind .

Indian basin is unique - and no other organization apart from IMD has such a wide and sustained focus on the plethora of parameters like wind speeds, pressure gradients,salinity,ocean temp,lower atmosphere circulation s etc and especially upper atmosphere (presence or absence or positioning of Jetstreams ,their intensity,expected changes - based on historical data,upper atmospheric circulation etc - all of which can only be understood and changes kept a track of through aircraft, weather balloons,rockets and other local measurements in the basin - for which massa researchers don't have realtime access - SATs can't do these realtime measurements of dynamics of upper air circulation developing and dissipating in Indian basin ).

There may be experts sitting massa - but they are individuals not an organization with a single focus. They don't have access to real time data especially non satellite sourced and even in case of massa SATs their polar ones dont have continuous coverage over India and probably zero geostationery ones over Indian basin equivalent to INSAT series which Isro operates and IMD has realtime access to.

So yes Indian journos should give precedence to IMD predictions first and foremost . But I won't place much belief in them ... They are the same ones who saturated Indian tv in 2012 shamelessly with coverage of Hurricane Sandy on massa eastern seaboard when at the same time cyclone nilam was raging off the chennai coast. So they are all pretty shameless - and people should give no quarter to them.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2013 10:45

Track observed and forecast.

Current state from Kalpana _I imagery.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2013 10:50

Lilo wrote:
So yes Indian journos should give precedence to IMD predictions first and foremost . But I won't place much belief in them ... They are the same ones who saturated Indian tv in 2012 shamelessly with coverage of Hurricane Sandy on massa eastern seaboard when at the same time cyclone nilam was raging off the chennai coast. So they are all pretty shameless - and people should give no quarter to them.

Nilam was nothing compared to Thane. In both cases we restored normalcy within one week. Power back in about three days. Roads cleared in one day ( 24 hrs).
Disaster preparedness have improved since tsunami.

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 10:59

Chaanakyaji and liloji, mucho pranaams.

One state I have not visited, Orissa. Was so near - but could not go. Will make up one day.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2013 11:01

IMD Press Briefing by DG LS Rathore.

-Seems zero casualty
-passed near Gopalpur
-track forecast, intensity forecast , state and timing forecast were accurate.
-Now it is severe cyclone
-after 230PM it will change into cyclonic storm after 6 Pm it will be Deep depression and then degrade
-AP warning called off.
-CH, JH,OD WB 24 Hrs heavy rain
-BH 48 Hrs heavy to very heavy rain thereafter heavy rain in catchment areas of Gandak and Kosi. Flood alert in Bihar by IMD.
-River catchment in Himalayas will get heavy rain thereafter and flooding is likely in BH . Alert by IMD.

disha · Post by **disha** » 13 Oct 2013 11:08

In a way, I am glad that I was able to see this day in India. All the hardwork of dedicated desis past and present gives us a moment of satisfaction in this major event.

Cyclone Phailin: How India evaded a major casualty
INDIA TODAY ONLINE NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 13, 2013 | UPDATED 11:03 IST

As gusty winds of over 200 kilometers an hour and a very heavy downpour marked the onslaught of Cyclone Phailin on Saturday, India's preparedness to face one of the major disasters of the recent times seems to have evaded a major casualty.

In one of the biggest evacuation programme in Indian history, over 5.5 lakh people were evacuated from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to safer places.

The massive evacuation programme was put in place two days ahead of the Cyclone Phailin hitting the Indian coasts largely because of the advance warning issued by the Indian Meteorological Department.

Learning lessons from the recent Uttarakhand floods, the Indian authorities pressed all their might to ensure the safety of people living in the coastal belt of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

About 4,50,000 people were evacuated from Odisha and one lakh from three districts of Andhra. An alert was also issued for those who were not ready to move out.

The government pressed into action some 18 helicopters and 12 aircrafts which were put on stand by to tackle any emergency situation.

The administration, police, NDRF and the defence forces were made fully prepared to combat any challenge. The Government also identified some 600 buildings as cyclone shelters, and people were evacuated from areas near the coast, including Ganjam, Puri, Khordha and Jagatsinghapur Districts in Odisha.

The Centre put all disaster preparedness measures in place so that the impact of the natural disaster is minimized, and urged the people living along the coast to exercise prudence.

In the process, the NDRF deployed a number of teams both in Odisha and in Andhra Pradesh. In Odisha, 26 NDRF teams along with three on standby were deployed. In Andhra Pradesh, there were 15 teams of NDRF, with additional two on standby.

There were an additional 30 to 25 teams, which could be deployed at short notice. Control rooms were set up within every Ministry, which would work around the clock.

The Army deployed an engineering task force, six composite relief units, four columns in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The Air Force, on its part, put in place frontline C-17 Globemasters, C-130 J Super Hercules and IL-76 transport planes to Odisha to carry out relief operations.

The Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy assumed the highest degree of readiness to render all necessary humanitarian assistance.

Two Indian Naval ships, including the Landing Platform Dock INS Jalashwa were standing by to proceed with dispatch to the most affected areas of Odisha in the cyclone's aftermath.

INS Jalashwa, the second largest combatant of the Indian Navy, is ideally equipped to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR), evacuation, logistic support and hospital ship operations.

Both the ships were poised with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats, integral helicopters and relief material that include food, tentage, clothes, medicines, blankets etc, in quantities sufficient to sustain over 5000 personnel for three days.

Six advance diving teams with inflatable boats, rescue material and satellite communication left for Odisha by road to operate from INS Chilka, 50 km north of Gopalapatnam, where the cyclone was expected to make landfall.

These personnel were assisted by four platoons from the local naval station and doctors from INHS Nivarini in their rescue and relief efforts.

The Eastern Naval Command was monitoring the developments closely and was in constant communication with the state administration to augment rescue and relief operations.

Six helicopters were standing by at the Naval Air Station INS Dega to undertake reconnaissance, rescue, casualty evacuation and air drop of relief material to the stranded.

Additionally, the telecom department also prepared itself to ensure that communication links are stable during the expected disaster.

The Indian Railways cancelled 99 trains and also short terminated and diverted a number of trains in view of the sever Cyclone Phailin to evade any casualty.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/cycl ... 14401.html

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 13 Oct 2013 11:52

Folks should remember one point: That Katrina made landfall as a Cat 3 Hurricane. Phailin made landfall at Cat 4 levels.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 13 Oct 2013 12:53

9 being reported dead. Cabinet Secy says three deaths reported officially so far. Others yet to be confirmed.

MV Bingo panama registered ship untraceable , probably sunk. 35 onboard. Few seem to go on lifeboat. Others feared drowned. SAR by Navy & Coast guard.

Sagar G · Post by **Sagar G** » 13 Oct 2013 13:47

So ultimately SDRE IMD came up with much better predictions instead of joo ess agencies with all the bells and whistles at their command (which is already causing a lot of takleef here).

Kudos to NDRF, IMD, state administration and defence forces for saving so many lives.

Comer · Post by **Comer** » 13 Oct 2013 14:48

^^ True. There was a bunch of Western experts who were consistently saying IMD got it wrong on the conservative side and runs the risk of downplaying severity. I too shamefully fell for it.
Now IMD got the most accurate prediction of them all. Only nitpick is that they should also be good at disseminating information along with their excellent job of prediction/modelling. One could argue that they might have given out information to those to matter the most, the people who are affected, rather than a guy sitting safely miles away. But these things help peripherally.
I also must admit the TV media though sometimes said inane things, waited for official updates from IMD/NDMA before putting out information. The fault lies in the update frequency of official orgs rather than media. If they jump the gun, the same people will turn around and accuse them of not waiting till experts confirmed it.