Indian disaster teams have begun a relief operation after Cyclone Phailin crashed into eastern areas, forcing up to one million people to flee
Officials are assessing the damage and providing food to hundreds of thousands who spent the night in shelters.
The cyclone wrecked many coastal homes, uprooted trees and blocked roads in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states.
Five deaths have so far been linked to the cyclone, far fewer than were initially feared.
In 1999 a cyclone killed more than 10,000 people in Orissa.
But the authorities said they were better prepared this time.
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| Early on Sunday, Indians were clearing roads and assessing the damage done by Cyclone Phailin. |
The massive storm made landfall on Saturday, packing winds of about 200km/h (125mph).
It was weakening on Sunday as it made its way north-west.
In Orissa's state capital, Bhubaneswar, crews were using axes and rope to clear fallen trees from roads.
"We've just started to assess the damage and coastal areas will have fared worse," said crew leader Upendra Malik.
The storm tore down power and communication lines and knocked out road and rail links, making an assessment difficult.
But officials were confident that a massive loss of life had been avoided.
"We were preparing for a super cyclone, but Phailin did not turn into a super cyclone," disaster official Tripti Parule told the AFP news agency.
He said the evacuation was the biggest in India's history for such an event.
Ref; BBC
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