Cyclone Biparjoy, which has caused a delay in the monsoon season in India, is not the most severe cyclone India has been faced with. Here is a list of the top five most severe cyclones that have hit India in the last three decades.
1. The Odisha Super Cyclone of 1999: The most intense recorded tropical cyclone in 20th century hit Odisha in 1999. According to reports, the devastating cyclone left nearly 10,000 humans dead, 1,500 children orphaned, and 7,500 people injured. The storm affected almost 13 million people, bringing waves six or seven metres high with wind speed peaking at 250 mph. “I even saw human bodies stuck on trees after tidal water receded. Volunteers of Anandmarg fished out bodies from accumulated water and undertook mass cremation by pouring kerosene oil,” said a physics professor who visited the Ersama Block in Odisha.
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2. Cyclone Amphan: The eastern part of India and Bangladesh were struck by Cyclone Amphan in May of 2020. The super-cyclone made landfall with 120 mph winds, uprooting trees and houses. The storm killed 98 people in India, and required the evacuation of more than 5,00,000 people from Bengal and Odisha. The entire disaster occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it even more difficult to provide adequate humanitarian assistance to those who were caught in Cyclone Amphan.
3. Cyclone Tauktae: In 2021, Gujarat was faced with Cyclone Tauktae, the deadliest cyclone to hit the Arabian Sea in a decade. It made landfall in Gujarat with wind speed of around 125 mph, destroying houses, trees, and electricity poles. Reports said that the tempestuous winds and rain killed approximately 70 people and more than 8,000 cattle, and damaged as many as 88,000 homes. 2,80,000 people were evacuated from the coastal areas.
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4. Cyclone Fani: Cyclone Fani made landfall in Puri, Odisha in 2019 with a wind speed of 120 mph, rising up to 200 mph. The storm killed nearly 100 people, and would have killed many more if the authorities hadn’t managed to evacuate around 1.2 million civilians before the cyclone struck. In contrast to the quick action before the storm, however, locals were displeased by the slow speed of reconstruction and relief. Survivors of the storm took to the streets to protest against the high prices of basic necessities and the lack of assessment of the damage done to homes and property.
5. Cyclone Ockhi: Cyclone Ockhi struck the South Indian coast in 2017, wreaking havoc in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Despite the evacuation of citizens living in low-lying areas, the cyclone claimed at least 300 lives, after gaining a maximum wind speed of 215 mph. Cyclone Ockhi was only the fourth cyclone to hit Kerala since the 1890s, so the authorities were less prepared to deal with the events and the aftermath.
These are only a few of the many cyclones that have caused devastation in India in the past few decades. Cyclones are not uncommon in our country, and hit India most frequently in the month of May, in the coastal areas.
