Weathering The Storm in Ersama

The story ‘Weathering the Storm in Ersama’, is a real life account of the aftermath of the cyclone. Prashant, a young man spent two dreadful nights marooned on the roof of a house. On the third day he decided to go to his village. Even in a dangerous situation, wading through filth and gore, he went looking for his family. He helped the people at Red Cross shelter gather food and other supplies. He was specially moved by the dire conditions of the women and the children around. He found out ways to keep them engaged so as to not delve deeper in grief. Moreover he came up with the idea of foster homes for children in his own community. His efforts and determination helped the survivors of the cyclone gather the bits of their lives together. He was strong enough to bear all the hardships and eventually became a lifeline for the people of his village.

Meanings of words and phrases

• menacing: likely to cause harm
• fury: extreme rage
• incessant: unstoppable
• rent: rip apart
• swirled: move quickly with a twisting, circular movement
• surge: sudden and great increase by a natural force such as the tide
• refuge: shelter
• glimpse: a quick look
• fractured : broken
• bloated: swollen and rounded because of containing too much liquid
• carcasses: dead bodies of animals
• huddled: gather or crowd together
• bereaved: greatly saddened owing to the death of a loved one
• ceased : stopped
• recede: move behind
• shallow: little depth
• waded : walk to with effort through water
• macabre: something disturbing because of being concerned with death
• catastrophe: a sudden event that causes very great trouble or destruction
• remnants: remains of an object
• mangled: destroy or severely damage
• brimming: overflow
• anxiously: worried and nervous
• motley: diverse and poorly organized group
• get a grip: to make an effort to control your emotions and behave more calmly
• a deathly grief: intense sorrow
• tumult: a loud, confused noise, especially caused by a large mass of people
• delegation: a person chosen or elected by a group
• triumphantly: victory or success
• rotting: getting spoilt
• reluctant: not willing to do something
• filth: dirt
• deputed: appointed
• orphaned: children who have lost their parents
• mobilised: organize or prepare a group of people
• persuaded: help people believe by appealing to reason or understanding
• resisted: oppose
• stigma: a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something
• foster: a home providing care to a child when you are not their legal parent
• wounded spirit: deeply hurt by certain circumstances
• healed: experience relief from emotional distress
• darkest hour: the time when bad events are at their worst and most dispiriting