1999 Super Cyclone In Odisha: 25 Years Of The Most Disastrous Natural Disaster That Shook India

Today its 29th October. This date holds a gloomy memory in the hearts of people of Odisha. A memory of bravery, fear, sacrifice, & unhealed wounds. The 1999 super cyclone, a disaster that is now 25 years old but will stay with us forever. Cyclones small or big, super or severe, they all remind us of the storm that swept Odisha, shook the nation, did an unrepairable damage.

On 29th October 1999, Odisha witnessed one of the deadliest cyclonic disasters when a Super cyclone made landfall near Paradip, between Ersama and Balikuda, with Wind speed of 260 km/h. Torrential rain, accompanied by gusty surface winds, tidal waves as high as six to seven meters, and flooding wreaked havoc in the coastal districts of Odisha. 
Reportedly, The storm reportedly claimed more than 9,000 lives, but it is believed that the death toll was much higher. The super cyclone, also known as the Paradip Cyclone, Falls under the category of F5 tornado. The intense rainfall affected 14 coastal districts, 28 coastal towns, and two major cities, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. 

It was a powerful cyclone that left behind devastation so severe that it destroyed entire villages and terrorized Odisha people for ages. According to reports, at least 13 million people, including 3.3 million children, were affected by the super cyclone. The storm also left over 7,000 people injured. The Livestock death count exceeded 300,000, and over 1.6 million houses damaged, with 23,000 houses washed away.

Even after completing quarter of a century, the 1999 super cyclone holds it’s fresh image in our minds. Years went by and so did numerous cyclones. We fought them with great courage and wholesome preparedness. As the 1999 super cyclone taught us one thing that is to never underestimate the signal of a natural disaster. Because we humans do not have any control about how violent it can turn.