The preparedness means measures, which enable government agencies, private organizations, communities, and individuals to respond rapidly and effectively to disaster situations. The preparedness measures include the formulation of viable disaster mitigation plans.
The preparedness actions have to be planned ahead of disaster. It would consist of a plan of action to be implemented on the receipt of the Cyclone Alert message from Cyclone Warning Centre. A cyclone alert is issued generally 48 hours before the possibility of the area being affected by cyclonic weather such as strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges.
The Action Plan would indicate how evacuation of people would be effected and the places where they could be evacuated. The identification of strong buildings, which would withstand the fury of the storm, is an important segment of preparedness action plan. The safe storage of non-perishable food and other essential needs, adequate collection of stocks of drinking water and medicines, has to be made.
Most of the maritime states have prepared Cyclone Disaster Preparedness handbooks or manuals, where action plans of various organizations have been indicated in the case of cyclone threat. It is desirable-that as an essential component of preparedness, the action points indicated in the manuals are rehearsed at the beginning of each cyclone season and updated in the light of experience gathered.
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To deal with cyclone situation a contingency plan has been evolved by the Ministry of Agriculture, who is the nodal agency at the Centre to co-ordinate, the activities of various Central departments and the affected State/States to cope up with the natural disaster in general.
Training programmes for the disaster management officials and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) are arranged by the disaster management faculties of several management and public administration institutions in India.