Live Chat: Devastation Averted - How India Weathered Cyclone Phailin

Click here to ask questions!

Cyclone Phailin struck the coast of Odisha, India on Oct. 12. This category 4 cyclone, the size of Hurricane Katrina, bore down at wind speeds of over 200 km/hour. It was the strongest cyclone to hit the Indian coast in 14 years, and a comparable storm in 1999 had killed more than 10,000 people. Once the cyclone had passed, the country found out that only 38 people had died during the disaster event. This seemed almost miraculous.

And yet, this was no miracle. This was an effort of epic proportions in making sure the horrors of the 1999 cyclone would not be revisited. Close to a million people were evacuated. Evacuating a million people means you need to know where you will be housing them or sending them to safer locations inland. This requires years of contingency planning, setting up protocols and having clearly laid-out roles for everyone to follow, right down to the community volunteer levels. With World Bank support, the state has been investing in building cyclone shelters, creating evacuation routes, strengthening embankments, and conducting drills.

Join us for a LIVE CHAT on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 9 a.m. ET with Saurabh Dani, Project Leader of the India National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project. Dani will discuss how India effectively responded to this most recent natural disaster, and what lessons can be learned for future generations. Questions for Dani? You can ask him on the form below in advance or during the live chat!