Cyclone Fani

Cyclone Fani, one of the most powerful storms to hit India in the last 20 years, has left a swathe of devastation in its wake with major damage resulting from extreme winds and extensive flooding affecting both buildings and infrastructure in Odisha and the surrounding regions.

Cyclone Fani made landfall on Friday, May 03 at approximately 8.00am local time. Categorized as a very severe cyclonic storm, it struck south of Puri on the Odisha coast, bringing sustained windspeeds of 175km/h - 185km/h and gusting to 205 km/h. In addition, the event generated a storm surge of 0.5m - 1m and very heavy rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Given the size and ferocity of the storm, the Indian authorities launched a major evacuation of the regions that lay in Cyclone Fani’s path. In total, some 1.2 million people were evacuated. To date, the death toll has been put at approximately 40 people with hundreds injured. Our thoughts are with all those affected.

As the flood waters recede and the rescue operations in the affected regions continue, it has been possible for Crawford to mobilize an adjusting team in Odisha to provide on-the-ground support to our clients affected by the storm.

While at a very early stage, we are liaising closely with both insurers and organizations to get a clearer understanding of the extent of the damage. In addition to the high risk of severe damage to residential buildings, mobiles towers, hotels, and industrial operations along the affected coastline of Odisha and further inland, we would also expect significant disruption to infrastructure in the region.

Given the clear scale and complexity of the loss, Crawford’s onsite teams will have access to the full range of our global services to ensure that claims are handled in the most effective way possible to achieve a swift resolution. Our focus as always will be to ensure that we help to support and restore the lives, businesses and communities that have been devastated by this event.

If you require further information about the damage caused by Cyclone Fani or should you need adjusting assistance, please see the relevant contact details below.

Mr. Sukrat Bhardwaj
Coordinator- On-Site
T: +91 (0172) 466 3433 & 260 3433
M: +91 99888-01433
sukrat.bhardwaj@puricrawford.com

Mr. Shashikant Barde
Coordinator- On-Site
T: +91(22) 40221193-94-96
M: +91 9619569690
s.barde@puricrawford.com

Mr. Prasad Sankhe
Coordinator-Off-site
T: +91 (020) 26612521 - 24
M: +91 99674 39963
prasad.sankhe@puricrawford.com

Mr. A K Wanikar
Director
M: +91 9821893252
ak.wanikar@puricrawford.com

Mr. Munish Prashar
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, India
M: +91 9811201866
T: +91 (11) 4151 5657 – 60
munish.prashar@puricrawford.com

Mr. Ashutosh Shukla
Chief Executive Officer, India
M: +91 98840 22785
ashutosh.shukla@puricrawford.com