The state has witnessed three major cyclones – the 1999 super cyclone, Cyclone Phailin in 2013 and now Cyclone Fani – in the past two decades. Undoubtedly, Odisha's disaster preparedness and disaster management have evolved since 1999's super cyclone. During the 1999 super cyclone, the season was that of retreating monsoon and therefore the gale was followed by massive floods. From the 1999 super cyclone to now, the state's capacity in terms of cyclone-preparedness has improved significantly. Post-1999, the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) was set up, which is the first state agency focused exclusively on disaster management.

Source: dna May 09, 2019 00:00 UTC