Radio switched on for updates when Cyclone Phailin hited

 The strongest storm to hit India's eastern coast in 14 years, was nearing. The radio helped a large number of families make their plans ahead of the storm and decide their next course of action. The bulletin warned those who are staying of the coast in dilapidated, thatched house or homes with asbestos roofing to move to safer places.  
         We suggest to packed essential items such as beaten rice, sugar, clothes, money and his radio set and went to the nearby cyclone shelter along with all member of own family and neighbors immediately after a special radio bulletin said people needed to evacuate. 
       The very severe Phailin tropical cyclone that struck on October 12 night near state's port town of Gopalpur in Ganjam and other districts left a trail of destruction, bringing heavy rain and causing floods. Although damage to property was estimated at several thousand crore rupees, the loss of humans was minimal compared to the 1999 super-cyclone that claimed over 10,000 lives. The toll from the latest cyclone and flooding has so far remained more then 60 causality. 
         "Mobile phones, which were working in most of the areas despite adverse weather conditions, also helped us a lot to connect with people.
            "We had asked our people to get SIMs of multiple operators. If one stopped working, they could use another and this trick worked very well”.

Mobile phones also helped many to get up-to-date information about the severe weather conditions. In 1999, there were only a few hundered mobile phone users in the state. Today, there are more than 20 million users. 

"I had kept my mobile switched off for hours to save the battery. When the cyclone neared, I switched it on and listened to the weather bulletin using the radio avilable in the mobile,” OROSA staff said, recollecting the horror.