People living in the Indian states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are still reeling from Cyclone Phailin, which struck land the evening of October 12, affecting over 14,000 villages and leaving at least 600,000 people without homes.
“There was advance notice that this storm was on the way, and due to disaster preparedness training many communities were able to evacuate their citizens,” explained Grace Wiebe, World Renew Senior Project Manager. “As a result, many lives were saved. Around one million people were evacuated before the storm hit, but as people return to their villages to survey the damage, the needs for food and shelter are rising.”
World Renew’s local partner, EFICOR, is currently assessing the situation in Odisha state and will work with World Renew to coordinate assistance to cyclone-affected families. Thousands of people will need support to rebuild homes and reestablish livelihoods as crops and businesses were also destroyed.
Cyclone Phailin is the biggest cyclone to hit the region in 14 years, with winds up to 200 km per hour. The last time a storm of this magnitude hit India in 1999, over 8,000 people lost their lives. This time around, cell phone messaging systems and 24 hour news coverage in the region allowed advanced warnings to go out and enabled the biggest evacuation in the country’s history. Initial reports indicate that only 18 people have died.
“World Renew is thankful for the lives spared during the storm, but we are concerned about all those returning home to find everything destroyed,” Wiebe said. “Odisha State was the hardest hit, and local families will need significant support to make it through the initial days and months as they slowly begin the daunting task of rebuilding.”
