yclone Phailin hit India last week as a category 4 storm with 130 mph winds. Loss of life was minimal due to large-scale evacuations but flooding has inundated homes and destroyed 1.2 million acres of crops. The local government has set up rescue and relief operations on the campus of a Bible training facility. It will take more than two weeks to restore power, the national highway is still covered by three feet of water, and some areas experienced levels above five feet. 873,000 people in Odisha and 100,000 in Andhra Pradesh sought safety in evacuation centres and will be returning to their communities as soon as flood waters recede. They will find little to salvage, particularly in poor farming villages along the coast where the storm wreaked the most havoc. The government will do what it can, but it doesn't have all the systems in place to offer much help.
Pray: for Christian Aid and other agencies already in the area who are able to respond immediately, pray for uncluttered communication between NGO’s and government bodies, pray also for adequate funds to be released to meet immediate and long term needs.