Weathering the Storm in Ersama

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The super cyclone hit Orissa on 27 October 1999. Prashant had gone to Ersama, a small coastal town about 18 kilometers from his village, to spend the day with a friend at the block headquarters.

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The wind speed of the super cyclone was 350 kilometers per hour, which was devastating enough to uproot ancient trees and destroy most buildings.

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They stayed on the rooftop for two days. Two coconut trees that had fallen on their roof provided tender coconuts, which kept the trapped family from starving during those days.

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Prashant used a long, sturdy stick to locate the road and determine shallow water areas. The water was often waist-deep, forcing him to swim at several points. He witnessed horrific scenes of floating…

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Prashant found that his house was destroyed, with only remnants of the roof remaining. Some belongings were caught and twisted in tree branches above the dark waters. He thought his family couldn't ha…

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Prashant first saw his maternal grandmother in the crowd at the Red Cross shelter. She was weak with hunger but rushed to him with outstretched hands and eyes brimming with tears, as they had given hi…

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In Prashant's village, 86 lives were lost and all 96 houses were completely washed away by the cyclone. This shows the complete devastation caused by the natural disaster.

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Prashant organized a group of youths and elders to pressure a merchant to part with his rice. The delegation succeeded and returned with food for the entire shelter, even though the rice was already r…