Cyclone Fani, Response, Odisha, India

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Fani was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Indian state of Odisha (formerly Orissa) since Phailin in 2013. authorities in India and Bangladesh moved at least a million people each from Fani’s projected path onto higher ground and into cyclone shelters, which is thought to have reduced the resultant death toll.

However, AMURT volunteers report much destruction, and hardly any house left in villages in the path of the storm if the construction was not concrete. Some of the villages have been kind of bulldozed they observed. In Puri District people depend on fishing boats and plantations. The storm damaged or destroyed their boats and the coconut and cashew plantations were razed to the ground.

AMURT’s relief team jumped into action immediately after the storm made landfall on May 2nd, 2019. They started by clearing trees from the roads in Bhubaneswar with chainsaws and in Puri district, which was the worst affected they served cooked meals in 43 villages. Where cooking was not possible they distributed dry food items, along with non-food items like torch lights, lantern, matchbox, soap, bed sheets, kitchen utensils, mosquito nets, etc.

The team also provided tarpaulin and bamboos to 550 needy families/individuals to construct temporary shelter partnering with village self-help groups and youths to help with the construction.

With the annual monsoon (rainy season) starting soon AMURT’s next priority is to construct temporary shelters for those who lost everything.