Abstract

The case discusses cyclone Phailin and its devastating impact on Gopalpur in Ganjam district of the eastern India state of Odisha, on October 12, 2013. The cyclone and the resulting floods forced people to evacuate their homes. Evacuating close to a million people took years of planning, forming evacuation protocols, constructing disaster risk mitigation infrastructure, and identifying safe buildings to house communities before the disaster. The low casualties were attributable to the proactive steps taken by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), formed after the 1999 Super Cyclone that had lashed Odisha, killing more than 10,000 people and causing damage of US$ 2 billion. Disaster management experts lauded the Government of Odisha and OSDMA for their unwavering commitment to disaster preparedness and risk mitigation. But, some experts believed that Odisha’s disaster planning did not focus on the community rehabilitation that would have to take place post-disaster.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the effectiveness of post-disaster relief programs.
• Design a comprehensive disaster risk management framework.
• Apply strategies for strengthening community participation in developmental relief programs in areas prone to natural disasters.

Keywords

Tropical cyclone, Phailin, Odisha, Super Cyclone, Disaster preparedness, Disaster management, Disaster risk reduction, Cyclone shelters, Rescue, relief, and Restoration, Rehabilitation, National Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Management Authority, Indian Meteorological Department, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority