Early Detection Of Cyclone Saves Countless Lives In India

The availability of media coverage of a cyclone that hit Gopalpur, India today most likely saved many saved as 800,000 were evacuated. In an area comprised mainly of mud and thatch homes, it is amazing that more people were not injured or killed.



Just 14 years ago, a similar storm came through the same area and killed more than 10,000 people. The infrastructure of the area cannot withstand the high wind gusts and heavy rainfall that comes power cyclones. News stations had been reporting on the potential storm for weeks. Early detection and emergency broadcast procedures are some of the best ways to prevent hazards from becoming devastating disasters in areas where there is not enough money to build fortified infrastructure that could  prevent disasters from getting worse.

This important information needs to be available in all corners of the globe. While it may not be realistic to be able to provide expensive means of prevention and reaction to environmental hazards, it is imperative that everyone who is in the path of a storm knows the potential danger it could cause and the best ways to avoid being caught in the storm. The only realistic way to make sure information like this reaches everyone is to have government intervention. National governments need to protect their citizens in any way they can and if early detection systems were installed in all corners of the world, then maybe we would stop seeing the high death counts on the news after storms like this hit.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/14/world/asia/india-cyclone.html?_r=0