A comprehensive study on preparedness, impacts, response and recovery from tropical severe cyclonic storm ‘GAJA’: lessons for the future

Abstract Tropical cyclones are very destructive natural hazards that often result in casualties, economic loss, and environmental degradation, especially in the coastal communities. Gaja, categorized as a severe cyclone struck the southeast coast of India on November 16, 2018 and devastated thousands of people in the six districts of the State of Tamil Nadu, India; two years since, many are still reeling from its aftermath. In this study, to assess the 1) preparedness of the community, 2) physio-socio-economic-environment impacts, and 3) post-phase response and recovery, various methodologies were adopted. A total of 18 villages were selected based on the land track of the cyclone for field visits and questionnaire survey. Field data, satellite image processing, and review of report indicated that more than 3/4th of the population, ~ 90 percent of the built-up areas, ~ 40 percent of the vegetation and agricultural crops were severely affected by the cyclone. Even though the community were warned about the cyclone trajectories, only 3/4th of them took precautionary measures to mitigate the effects. The State government has played a major role in evacuating people to safe shelters, bringing back communication to the affected areas, and has also provided some sort of compensation to the victims. In addition to the efforts of the government, volunteers have also offered immediate relief to the affected communities. However, even after one year of the cyclone, only less than 20 percent of the community have completely recovered from the devastation. The results of this study will help comprehend the different phases of cyclone management and formulate better cyclone hazard management plans in the future.