Making landfall near Paradip, the super cyclone came with winds reaching astonishing speeds of 270 kmph, producing a storm surge of more than 20 feet that pushed 30 km inland. The storm was unique in its relatively long life after landfall by battering the coast for two days with high-velocity winds and torrential rain, adding to the misery and despair. At that time, the Agriculture Ministry served as the nodal authority in the Union government for coordinating disaster response and relief work. When the super cyclone was crossing the coast, the Prime Minister directed Defence Minister George Fernandes to assess the situation and support the State authorities. Fernandes quickly marshalled a military aircraft for his team, which included Union Mines Minister Naveen Patnaik and Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, both from Odisha.

Source: The Hindu May 30, 2020 18:34 UTC