Typhoon Fani

On 3 May 2019, Typhoon Fani hit the east Indian state of Odisha (Orissa). It was the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the state since 1999, with sustained wind speeds of up to 115 mph (185 km/h).

Bridge has been supporting a local church leader in Bhubaneswar, the state capital, for some years. A team from the trust last visited the city in 2017. We contacted our friends in India to find out if they were all safe, and how the typhoon had affected them.

There had been damage to the slum school building and roof, the church premises and some of the members’ homes. They estimated that the cost of repairs would be about 2 lakhs of rupees (R.200,000). That’s about £2,200, but what is perhaps a modest sounding amount to us is a lot in India, and not easily affordable. 

Thanks to a generous donation we had recently received from one of our supporters we were able to offer funds to cover the repair costs.