The Ghost Of 10,000 Deaths: Montha Brings Back Horrors Of 1999 Super Cyclone As It Hits Odisha Tonight

Severe rain showers started pounding eight southern districts of Odisha on Tuesday morning as Cyclone Montha strengthened into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded red alerts in a number of coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, with landfall expected this evening, October 28.The cyclone warning has brought back dark memories of the catastrophic 1999 Cyclone Paradip, Indias worst natural disaster, which killed almost 10,000 people.Montha Preparations On High AlertDrawing lessons from previous tragedies, the Odisha state government has deployed large-scale precautionary measures to limit casualties of Cyclone Montha.Evacuation and Shelter: More than 1,400 cyclone shelters have been readied in eight risk-prone districts, with food for sustenance. Low-lying population and hilly slope landslide-prone areas in districts such as Malkangiri, Koraput, and Ganjam have been evacuated. Pregnant women have been relocated safely to hospitals.Response Teams: An enormous deployment of 140 rescue teams consisting of more than 5,000 NDRF, ODRAF, and fire services personnel has reached the ground.Public Restraints: Schools and Anganwadi centers have been shut down in nine districts until October 30. All sea beaches have been closed, and government official leaves have been cancelled until October 30.Transport Shipping: Rail activities on the East Coast Railway and South Central Railway have experienced multiple cancellations, diversions, and short terminations. Port authorities have been directed to fly high-level warning signals.The Ghost Of The 1999 Paradip CycloneThe strict drill in the present times is a stark contrast to the devastation caused by the 1999 Super Cyclonic Storm, commonly known as the Paradip Cyclone or the Black Friday cyclone.The storm made landfall on October 29, 1999, lashing coastal Odisha with a wind speed of 250 kmph. A white paper detailing the loss confirmed that the disaster caused severe damage to administrative, social, and economic infrastructure, destroying property and livestock.District With Highest Loss Of Life Confirmed Fatalities (1999)Total Deaths 9,885Jagatsinghpur District Alone 8,119Widespread Economic DevastationThe fisherfolk population lost the maximum amount of economy, with 22,143 fishing nets and 9,085 boats lost. In addition to that, agricultural fields were destroyed by cyclone, which destroyed:13 lakh hectares of paddy crop.1.76 lakh hectares of vegetables.2.57 lakh hectares of other crops.The overall estimated crop damage alone amounted to around Rs. 1,733 crores. The super cyclone also crippled urban life, destroying government offices and interrupting the power supply lines in major cities such as Bhubaneswar and Cuttack for more than ten days.IMD Issues Red, Orange, And Yellow AlertsIMD has issued a graded warning system throughout Odisha for the ongoing weather event:Red Alert: Predicted isolated very heavy rainfall (more than 20 cm) for districts of Malakangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, and Ganjam.Orange Alert: Expects heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) in Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhmal, Puri, and a few other districts.Yellow Warning: Heavy rain (7 to 11 cm) warnings are issued for the northern coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Cuttack.ALSO READ | Cyclone Montha To Strike Andhra Coast Today; IMD Issues Rain Forecast For Delhi, UP, And Bihar