title: Studying Policy Changes in Disaster Management in India: A Tale of Two Cyclones.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The mainstay of India's disaster management policy until the early 2000s had been relief and rescue operations. The Odisha Super Cyclone (1999) with 10,000 deaths and US $3 billion economic damage provided a rude awakening. Recognizing the importance of preemptive preparedness, the government initiated systematic steps to implement a national framework interlinking economic, environmental, and overall developmental issues for efficient response to and mitigation of disasters.
  
  
  METHODS
  We attempted a critical analysis of this paradigm shift in India's disaster management policy through the prism of 2 cyclones, 14 years apart in time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With improved preparedness and response measures, the death toll in 2013 Cyclone Phailin was 0.5% and the economic loss was about one-third of that during 1999. Concomitant improvements in the technological expertise of the early warning system, an integrated approach at all levels of administration including joint planning with major nongovernmental organizations, and improved community participation were identified as game-changers. An unbelievable 1 million people were evacuated to safety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our essay aims to highlight key steps in this success and calls for futuristic approaches like insurance programs and gender-sensitive recovery plans. With thorough scrutiny, India's model may well stand to be replicated in resource-restricted settings.
authors.affiliation: 1CAMC Health Education and Research Institute,Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC),Charleston,West Virginia.
authors.forename: Ayan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Community Medicine,R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital,Kolkata,India.
authors.forename: Rivu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Biochemistry,PGIMS,Rohtak,India.
authors.forename: Atreyee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basu
mesh_terms: D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods; D055867:Cyclonic Storms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D011050:Policy Making
keywords: cyclonic storms; disaster planning; emergency preparedness; government; policy making