Tropical Cyclone 05B - Oct 1999

Cyclone, 05B struck the coastal region of the Indian state of Orissa at noon local time on Friday 29, October causing widespread devastation across eight coastal districts. Winds of up to 260 km/h were registered over a 36 hour period, accompanied by a 7 metre tidal surge that swept 20 kms inland in some areas. The cyclone caused extensive damage to homes, agriculture, electricity supply, transport and telecommunications networks. More than ten thousand people lost their lives, and almost two million houses were either totally destroyed or partially damaged in the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Cuttack and Jajpur. About 85% of Orissa’s population is rural, primarily relying on agriculture. The cyclone has had a devastating impact on the agriculture sector, mainly due to the inundation of salt water. The large number of livestock lost during the cyclone has also caused a decline in livelihood. It is estimated that more than 250,000 cattle died due to the cyclone. In the worst affected area of Ersama block in Jagatsinghpur District, an estimated 35 of the 200 villages have been totally destroyed accounting for 80% of the total death toll from the cyclone. According to the latest government estimates, 1,714,000 houses were totally destroyed, 406,000 livestock perished and 1,678,000 hectares of cropland have been destroyed. (IFRC, 21 Jan 2000)