Flooding in India

Near Hyderabad, residents wade through a flood-damaged road

Over the past weekend flash floods hit the east India states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. At least forty people are dead according to the CNN report. The floods hit quickly and unexpectedly in many areas, and local residents did not have much time to protect their belongings before retreating to safer areas. Thankfully, a recovery effort being headed by the local government is already underway. Along with dry fruits being sent in, a free kitchen has been set up and tickets distributed. The government also plans to provide housing damage assistance. Thirteen different districts were affected in Odisha alone, including Ganjam, where about 85,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes. The continued rain also has some worried about the drainage system, which might be at risk of breaches if the heavy rains continue.

This event shows that even when a natural hazard strikes quickly, a well-prepared government can still provide its citizens the help they need. Obviously the local government here had plans in place to provide food and housing assistance in the event of a disaster, and that is a very important part of hazard management. Many places that face these same dangers live under governments that either do not care, or are not nearly as educated as to what needs to be done, and potentially, educating people in those areas could save many lives in the future.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/26/world/asia/india-floods/