Odisha super cyclone (1999)
Topic: Air Masses, Fronts, Cyclones and Thunderstorms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Odisha super cyclone was a super cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal that made landfall near Paradip on 29 October 1999. Its winds were over 250 km/h, and it brought a huge storm surge (sea water pushed far onto land). About 10,000 people died. The disaster changed how India deals with cyclones. Odisha set up its state disaster management authority (OSDMA) and built cyclone shelters along the coast. These steps helped keep deaths low in later storms such as Fani (2019).
Example
Paradip, a port on the Odisha coast in the Mahanadi delta, was where the storm crossed. Low-lying villages around it were flooded by the surge.
Don't confuse with
- Cyclone Amphan (2020): the next super cyclonic storm in the Bay, which struck near the Sundarbans in West Bengal, not Odisha.