The last time a storm as powerful as Cyclone Phailin struck the eastern coast of India, 10,000 people died.
So the sense of relief is strong in the state of Odisha, where Phailin made landfall this weekend.
“I felt like I was going to die, everyone was so tense,” said Raju Pradhan, who lives with his family in Odisha.
At least 21 were killed as a direct result of the cyclone, according to Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, Odisha state special relief commissioner. Every death is tragic, but considering Phailin was the strongest tropical storm to hit India in more than a decade, the toll could have been much higher.
Source: CNN
