A huge cyclone that has forced as many as
500,000 people to flee their homes has made
landfall in eastern India.

Winds were measured at 200 km/h (125mph) as
Cyclone Phailin hit the coast near Gopalpur, Orissa
state, at about 21:15 (15:45 GMT).

Authorities had predicted a storm surge of at least
3m (10ft) that was expected to cause extensive
damage.
Officials say they are better prepared than in 1999
when a cyclone killed thousands of people in Orissa.
Cyclone Phailin has been classed as "very severe",
and the head of India's Meteorological Office, LS
Rathore, said it would remain in that category for six
hours before losing strength.
The eye of the storm was moving at 10-15 km/h
(6-9mph), he said.

The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder reported heavy rain and
high winds lashing Gopalpur as the cyclone made
landfall.

'Apocalyptic devastation'
The storm has ripped up trees and road signs, and
cut power supplies in some areas. Five deaths were
linked to the cyclone by Indian media.

Another BBC reporter, Andrew North, spoke of a
scene of apocalyptic devastation in Brahmapur, just
inland from where the cyclone reached the coast.
Store signs and other debris were being pitched high
in the air by storm gusts and elaborate decorations
for a major Hindu festival were strewn over the main
road.
Officials had earlier said that no-one would be
allowed to stay in mud and thatched houses along
the coast of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states, but
some residents said they wanted to stay put.

"Many people refused to move, had to be convinced,
and at times the police had to forcefully move them
to safe places," said Home Minister Sushilkumar
Shinde.

The army is on standby for emergency and relief
operations.

Helicopters and food packages were ready to be
dropped in the storm-affected areas.
Cyclone Phailin is described as the biggest storm in
the region for 14 years
As many as 500,000 people have left their homes,
many for storm shelters
The storm was expected to cause extensive damage
to coastal areas

Authorities say they are now better prepared than in
1999, when a super-cyclone hit Orissa
Hours before the cyclone made landfall it was
generating winds of 240 km/h (150mph) over the
Bay of Bengal.

Sushant Sahoo, a resident of Orissa's state capital,
Bhubaneswar, told the BBC that it had been raining
there since the morning, and the streets were empty.
"We have no electricity, it is very dark right now and
very grim," she said.
"I have dry food and candles. The local government
has been good at getting everyone prepared and
taking care of people."

India's eastern coast and Bangladesh are routinely
hit by cyclonic storms between April and November
that cause deaths and widespread damage to
property.

In December 2011, Cyclone Thane hit the southern
state of Tamil Nadu, killing dozens of people.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24507810

Hezron Lorraine: ^^
Yeah right.We on this side of the world face harsher ordeals,thou not physically tormenting like natural disasters.We have corruption,bad leadership,mismanagement and maladministration