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This chapter introduces the case studies. On 17–18 October 1999, Odisha, an Indian state was affected by a super-cyclone (wind velocity of 270–300 km/h) which killed more than 10,000 people. In 2013, Odisha was hit by another cyclone called Phailin on 12 October 2013 (wind velocity 260 km/h). Only 86 people died. This chapter presents the gender disaggregated death data from the four districts which were severely hit in 1999. It also provides the narratives of seven elite respondents who included the Director of the Indian Meteorology Department, Regional Director of UNDP, Manager of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority, Deputy Relief Commissioner of the Special Relief Organisation, as well as three Emergency Officers from Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur and Puri districts. Systems failure provides a novel perspective to analyse the reasons why there were so many deaths in the Super-Cyclone.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-66951-9_3

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