Weathering the Storm in Ersama Summary & Notes - CBSE Class 9 English Moments

Summary of Weathering the Storm in Ersama

Chapter 6 of the Class 9 English Supplementary Reader ‘Moments’ is a short story named Weathering the Storm in Ersama. It is based on a true story about how the people of a village faced a horrifying cyclone. Read the prose summary of CBSE Class 9 English Prose Notes – Weathering the Storm in Ersama in CBSE English Notes Class 9 format here to explore the chapter in brief. We hope this summary will help students to gear up for their English exam and face it confidently.

Students can also learn how to write an effective essay by going through the essays to increase marks in Class 9 English papers.

CBSE Class 9 English Weathering the Storm in Ersama Summary

Weathering the Storm in Ersama, written by Harsh Mander, is based on the real-life story of the dreadful cyclone that hit Orissa (now known as Odisha) on October 27th, 1999. The story particularly mentions the praiseworthy adventures of a young man named Prashant, who was stranded on the roof of his friend’s house for two nights following the terrifying storm. Prashant had gone to Ersama, a small town in coastal Orissa that was some eighteen kilometres from his village, to visit a friend.

The impact of the cyclone was so massive that it killed several people and devastated the houses of many villagers. In such hard times, Prashant exhibited exceptional courage and faced the natural calamity with bravery. He did not just save his life but also led the disaster management of the menacing storm in his village effectively. The dreadful storm was followed by incessant and heavy rainfall, which washed away various houses and people. There were flood waters everywhere, and corpses were floating on them. Being away from home, Prashant took shelter in his friend’s house, stranded on the rooftop, where he spent two nights with his friend’s family. It was freezing cold due to the incessant rain. In the early morning, he could see the wreckage caused by the super cyclone.

Only the cemented houses stood still in a few places as there was water everywhere. There were carcasses of animals and dead bodies of humans floating in every direction. Prashant felt helpless and deeply worried about his family. The rain stopped after two days, and the rain waters started receding. Prashant decided to visit his village, Kalikuda and check on his family members and relatives. Although initially, he couldn’t find any of his family members, he soon found his uncle’s friends. So, he went to the Red Cross shelter to search for them and found his family later.

Prashant was distressed at the sight of the miserable condition of the people affected by the super cyclone who took shelter wherever they could. They were starving and had only some green coconuts from the tree that was uprooted in the storm. So, he decided to volunteer and help the survivors by arranging food for the people with the help of some elders and young people like him. He began by organising a team of young volunteers to clear all the filth and floating carcasses and heal the wounds and fractures of the injured people.

On the fifth day of the natural calamity, a military helicopter dropped a few parcels of food. However, it did not come any further. Therefore, Prashant and his fellow volunteers decided to depute children on the ground with empty plates on their stomachs in order to grab the attention of the helicopter. The plan worked, and thereafter, the helicopter started dropping basic needs and food parcels.

Prashant continued working dedicatedly and put up a polythene sheet shelter for the orphans. He resettled the orphans in new foster families comprising childless widows. He also persuaded women to work in a food-for-work program that was operated by an NGO and organised sports events for children. Prashant was the saviour for several people who were adversely affected by the super cyclone. Everyone looked up to him with gratitude for helping them. His selfless service to mankind was indeed commendable.

Conclusion of Weathering the Storm in Ersama

The chapter – Weathering the Storm in Ersama illustrates how we should form a community of workers wherever a calamity strikes so that we can help people rather than merely depending on the government for aid. Here, we have provided you with the CBSE Class 9 English Moments Prose Summary of Weathering the Storm in Ersama. It will help students to get a thorough understanding of the chapter.

Besides, BYJU’S offers several resources such as CBSE Notes and CBSE study materials. They can download BYJU’S – The Learning App and also access CBSE sample papers and several years’ question papers.