ABSTRACT
The super cyclone that hit the coast of Odisha on 29 30 October 1999 was one of the most violent and devastating disasters that Odisha has ever experienced, and its effects were widespread and distinct on different social strata. The term super cyclone has been used for the first time by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to describe the cyclone that hit the Odisha coast on 29 October because of the fact that the wind speed had crossed the speed of 221 km per hour. This chapter analyses the economic, socio-cultural and psychological impacts of this super cyclone on life and livelihood of women, who are considered as one of the vulnerable sections of a society. It aims to highlight the gender-specific problems faced by the affected women in responding to and coping with the devastating consequences of an unexpected misfortune unparalleled in the history of the Indian subcontinent.
