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Bangladesh cycloneOn 15 November 2007 a severe cyclone struck Bangladesh, killing more than 3,500 people. Cyclone Sidr struck overnight packing winds of 250 kph (155 mph).
The Category 4 cyclone triggered a 15-foot (5-metre) high tidal surge that devastated three coastal towns and forced 3.2 million people to evacuate.
The cyclone affected 8.9 million people and 1.5 million people had their homes damaged or destroyed. Crops and food sources were also destroyed.
Community infrastructure was destroyed with roads, trees and more than 2,000 schools damaged by the destructive winds.
Summary
Bangladesh is a low-lying country in South Asia surrounded by India, Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal. Despite making some progress in improving standards of living, its human development ranking (UNDP, Human Development Report 2007/08) is 140 out of 177 countries.
Aside from city-states, Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world. The total population is 144 million. The population is reasonably ethnically homogeneous. Over 97% are Bengali, the remaining 3% are Biharis, tribal peoples and Rohinga refugees.
Bangla is the state language and is understood by the majority of the population including tribal groups. The 2003 Human Development Report states that 36% of Bangladeshis live on less than $1 per day and 82.8% on less than $2 per day.
Poverty is exacerbated by frequent natural disasters in the form of floods and cyclones. In 1998, the worst floods ever witnessed covered almost two-thirds of the country, affecting around 15 million people. Floods occurred again in 2000 and 2002. However, with assistance from the international community, including NGOs like World Vision, early warning systems, construction of cyclone shelters and disaster and evacuation planning can help to reduce the impact of climate disasters on people’s lives
The 1991 Bangladesh cyclone (IMD designation:BOB 01, JTWC designation:02B) was among the deadliest tropical cyclones on record. On the night of 29 April 1991 a powerful tropical cyclone struck the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 250 km/h (155 mph). The storm forced a 6 metre (20 ft) storm surge inland over a wide area, killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as 10 million homeless.
Meteorological history
Storm path
An area of persistent cloudiness, in part due to the monsoon trough, developed into a tropical depression on April 22 in the Bay of Bengal. The wind speed and overall size increased, with the depression becoming Tropical Storm 02B on the 24th. The enormous wind field at the time encompassed nearly the entire bay.
The tropical storm continued slowly northwestward, slowly strengthening to a cyclone-strength storm on the 27th. The cyclone moved between a high pressure system to its northwest and east, and as mid-level westerlies met up with the storm, the cyclone moved northeastward. The westerlies enhanced upper level outflow, and in combination with warm water temperatures the cyclone steadily strengthened to a major hurricane on the 28th.
On the 28th and 29th, as the system increased its speed to the north-northeast, the cyclone rapidly intensified to a 160 mph Cyclone, the equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. Late on the 29th, Cyclone 02B made landfall a short distance south of Chittagong as a slightly weaker 155 mph Category 4 Cyclone. The storm rapidly weakened over land, and dissipated on the 30th over southeast Asia.
Impact
Flooding around a river in Bangladesh
At least 138,000 people were killed by the storm,[1] with the majority of deaths in the Chittagong area. Most deaths were from drowning, with the highest mortality among children and the elderly. Although cyclone shelters had been built after the 1970 Bhola cyclone, many had just a few hours of warning and did not know where to go for shelter. Others who knew about the storm refused to evacuate because they did not believe the storm would be as bad as forecast. Even so it is estimated over 2 million people did evacuate from the most dangerous areas, possibly mitigating the disaster substantially.
Property damage
A damaged village in Bangladesh, surrounded by flooded fields, three weeks after the storm had struck
The storm caused an estimated $1.5 billion (1991 US dollars) in damage. The high velocity wind and the storm surge devastated the coastline. Although a concrete levee was in place near the mouth of the Karnaphuli River in Patenga, it was washed away by
the storm surge. The cyclone uprooted a 100-ton crane from the Port of Chittagong, and smashed it on the Karnaphuli River Bridge, effectively breaking it into two partitions. A large number of boats and smaller ships ran aground. Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force, both of which had bases in Chittagong, were also heavily hit. The Isha Khan Naval Base at Patenga was flooded, with heavy damages to the ships. Most of the fighter planes belonging to the air force were damaged. Approximately 1 million homes were destroyed, leaving about 10 million people (a substantial portion of Bangladesh's population) homeless.
Environmental impact
The storm surge subsequently caused the embankment, as well as whole villages, to be swept away. For an additional three to four weeks after the storm had dissipated, mass land erosion resulted in more and more farmers losing their land, and therefore, the number of unemployed rose.[2]
International response
Bangladeshis unloading international aid from a US helicopter
The United States amphibious task-force, consisting of 15 ships and 2,500 men, returning to the US after the Gulf War was diverted to the Bay of Bengal. This was part of Operation Sea Angel, one of the largest military disaster relief efforts ever carried out, with the United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan and Japan also participating.[1]
Operation Sea Angel began on May 10, 1991 when President Bush directed the US military to provide humanitarian assistance. A Contingency Joint Task Force under the command of Lieutenant General Henry C. Stackpole, consisting of over 7,000 US soldiers, was subsequently sent to Bangladesh to provide food, water, and medical care to nearly two million people. The efforts of U.S. troops, which included 3,000 tons of supplies, are credited with having saved as many as 200,000 lives.[3]
List of Bangladesh tropical cyclones
Bangladesh, due to its unique geographic location, suffers from devastating tropical cyclones frequently. The funnel-shaped northern portion of the Bay of Bengal causes tidal bores when cyclones make landfall, and thousands of people living in the coastal areas are affected. Some of the most devastating natural disasters in recorded history with high casualties were tropical cyclones that hit the region now forming Bangladesh. Among them, the 1970 Bhola cyclone alone claimed more than 500,000 lives.
Storm preparedness
Bangladesh lacks any satellites of its own. The three satellite ground stations, located in Betbunia, Talibabad, and Mohakhali, are used to receive feeds from other satellites. Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation (SPARRSO), a Government agency under the ministry of defence[1] provides storm predictions and early warnings using feeds from NASA and NOAA's satellites. The warnings are usually given in a scale of 10, with the number10 being given for the deadliest storms.
A detailed program for storm prevention was outlined by the Government following the cyclone of 1991. A Comprehensive Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) is jointly planned, operated, and managed by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, and a volunteer force of more than 32,000 are trained to help in warning and evacuation in the coastal areas.[2] Around 2,500 cyclone shelters have been constructed in the coastal regions. The shelters are built on elevated platforms, and serve the dual role of schools or community centers during normal weather. In Patenga, Chittagong, the coast has been heavily protected with concrete levees. Also, an afforestation has been initiated in the coastal regions to create a green belt.
Cyclones are a product of heat and moisture, which can last up to 24 hours. Low pressure is the main weather associated with cyclones. Cyclones can cause devastating damage, and are known to knock out electric and water supplies. It is recommended people have a supply kit ready in case a cyclone hits their area.
Storms
Historical records
Source: SMRC-No.1 - The impact of tropical cyclones on the coastal regions of SAARC countries and their influence in the region, SAARC Meteorological Research Center (SMRC),1998
SL. Date/Year Type of Relevant Information Reference/Source of
No. Disturbance Information
1.1582 AD (Date and month N/A)
Severe Cyclonic Storm with a core of hurricane winds
Coast: The cyclone crossed the coast of Backerganj (Sarkar Bala).
Loss and damage: People killed = 200,000.
The destruction was reported to have been caused by a storm wave.
According to Banglapedia, a five-hour hurricane and thunderstorm destroyed houses and boats in the coast near Bakerganj (presently in Barisal and Patuakhali).[2] Only Hindu temples with a strong foundation were spared.
Ain-i-Akbari Riyaz-Us-
Salatin
Bengal District Gazetteer, 24 Parganas-by L.S.S. O'Malley, ICS, 1914, published- by the Bengal SOC Dept.
2.1585 (Date and month N/A)
N/A
A tropical storm hit the eastern side of Bakerganj (now Barisal) near the mouth of the Meghna River estuary, causing devastation of crops.
Casualty: unknown.
Banglapedia[2]
3.1699 (Date and month N/A)
Severe Cyclonic Storm
Coast: The cyclone crossed the Sundarbans coast
Loss and damage: People killed = 50,000.
Other information are not available.
Daily Ittefaq, May 5, 1991.
4.1760 (Date and month N/A)
Severe Cyclonic Storm
Coast: The cyclone crossed the Sundarbans coast
Loss and damage: N/A. The whole area was almost damaged. Other information are not available.
Daily Ittefaq, May 5, 1991.
5.1765 (Date and month N/A)
Severe Cyclonic Storm
Coast: The cyclone crossed Chittagong coast
Loss and damage: N/A. The whole area was destroyed. Other information are not available.
Daily Ittefaq, May 5, 1991.
6. 1767 (Date and month
Severe Cyclonic
Coast: The cyclone crossed Backerganj (Barisal) coast.
Daily Ittefaq, May 5, 1991.
N/A) Storm
Surge height: 13.03 m (43 ft)
Loss and damage:
People killed: 30,000. Other information are not available.
7.May–June, 1797 (Actual date N/A)
Severe Cyclonic Storm with a core of hurricane winds
Coast: The cyclone crossed Chittagong coast
Loss and damage: Every house in the area was destroyed. Two ships were sunk in Chittagong Port. Other information are not available.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department
Banglapedia[2]
8.June, 1822 (Actual date N/A)
Severe Cyclonic Storm with a core of hurricane winds
Coast: The cyclone crossed the coast of Backerganj (Barisal), Sarkar Bala.
Loss and damage: People killed = 50,000.
Cattle killed = 100,000.
Storm wave swept away the collectorate records. Other information are not available.
Journal of Asiatic SOC. of Bengal, Vol. 46, Part II, pp 332- by H.F. Blandford
Buist's 1st catalogue Trans. Bombay Geo. Soc. Vol. XII. Appendix A.
Sailors Horn Book for the law of storms. Appendix A. - by Henry Piddington.
9. June 2, 1823 Cyclonic Storm
Coast: The cyclone crossed Chittagong coast
Other information are not available.
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster
Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
10. June 8, 1824
Heavy Storm (Severe Cyclonic Storm)
Coast: The cyclone crossed Chittagong coast
Other information are not available.
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
11.October 31, 1831
Severe Cyclonic Storm
Coast: The cyclone crossed Barisal coast (Grazed the Balasore-Orissa coast)
Surge height: 2.12-4.55 m (7–15 ft)
Loss and damage: People killed = 22,000 (along the coast of India and Bengal)
Cattle killed > 50,000
Other information are not available.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
Bengal District Gazetteer (Balasore)- by L.S.S. O'Malley, ICS
12. June 3–5, 1839
Cyclonic Storm
Coast: Crossed Head Bay (Bengal coast)
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal,
Other information are not available.
A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
13.September 19–21, 1839
Cyclonic Storm
Coast: The storm passed north across Sundarbans coast between Calcutta and Barisal.
Other information are not available.
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
14. May 11, 1844
Cyclonic Storm (Gale)
Coast: Crossed Noakhali and Chittagong coast.
Other information are not available.
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for
the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
15.May 12–13, 1849
Cyclonic Storm (Gale)
Coast: The cyclone crossed Chittagong coast
Other information are not available.
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
16. April 23–28, 1850
Cyclonic Storm
Formation: Formed over West Nicobars.
Coast: It moved north to Bengal from West Nicobars.
Other information are not available.
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International
Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
17.May 12–15, 1852
Cyclonic Storm
Formation: Formed near 15°N.
Coast: It moved northward and crossed the Sundarbans coast; the center passed 39 miles (63 km) east of Calcutta
Other information are not available.
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
18.May 13–17, 1869
Cyclonic Storm
The storm moved northwestward from Cape Negrais to Bengal and crossed the Bengal coast
Other information are not available.
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
19. June 5–10, Cyclonic Coast: From the North Bay the Disastrous
1869 Storm
cyclone passed over Bengal.
Other information are not available.
storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
20.
October 1872 (Date was not available)
Cyclonic Storm
Coast: The cyclone hit the coast of Cox's Bazar
Other information are not available.
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
Banglapedia[2]
21. October 29-November 1, 1876
(The Great
Severe Cyclonic Storm with a core of hurricane
Coast: The cyclone crossed the coast of Backerganj (present Barisal) near Meghna estuary.
Maximum wind: 220 km/h (119
Disastrous storms in the Bay of Bengal, A Listing of Cyclonic
Backerganj Cyclone of 1876)
winds.
knots)
Surge height: 3-13.6 m (10–45 ft)
According to Banglapedia, a cyclone with a storm-surge of 12.2 metres (40 ft) hit Meghna River estuary near Chittagong, Barisal, and Noakhali.[2] Casualty: about 200,000. The storm also caused epidemic and famine, and vast property damage.
Storms by Month Through 1979, Prepared for the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Agency for International Development, Washington D.C. 20523 - by F. Henderson.
BMD Hurricane
Storms and tornadoes- by D.V. Nalivkin, 1982, pp. 68.
Journal of Asiatic Soc. Vol. XL VI- by H.F. Blanford pp. 338.
Tracks of Storms and Depressions in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, 1877–1970, IMD, 1979.
Banglapedia[2]
This is a partial list of the tropical cyclones in Bangladesh or the historical region of Bengal in general. Some of the years and dates may be slightly incorrect. Most of the figures have been taken from Banglapedia.[2]
1584: A five-hour hurricane and thunderstorm destroyed houses and boats in the coast near Bakerganj (presently in Barisal) and Patuakhali). Only Hindu temples with a strong foundation were spared. Total casualty: about 200,000.
1585: A tropical storm hit the eastern side of Bakerganj (now Barisal) near the mouth of the Meghna River estuary, causing devastation of crops. Casualty: unknown.
November 1797: A severe cyclone destroyed most of the houses in the Chittagong) region. Two ships sank in Chittagong Port.
May 1822: A cyclone, accompanied by storm surge and tidal bores hit Barisal, Hatiya Island and Noakhali. Casualty: 40,000 people.
October 1831 Barisal: Casualty: unknown.
October 1872: A cyclone hit Cox's Bazar. Casualty: unknown.
31 October 1876: A cyclone with a storm-surge of 12.2 metres (40 ft) hit Meghna River estuary near Chittagong, Barisal, and Noakhali. Casualty: about 200,000. The storm also caused epidemic and famine, and vast property damage.
24 October 1897 Chittagong: A tropical cyclone accompanied by storm surge hit the area hard, especially near the Kutubdia island. Casualty: 14,000. The resulting epidemic of Cholera killed another 18,000.
May 1898 Teknaf: Tropical cyclone with storm surge. Casualty: unknown.
November 1904 Sonadia: cyclonic storm; 143 killed and fishing fleet wrecked.
16 October 1909 Khulna: A tropical cyclone accompanied by storm surge. Casualty: 698 people and 70,654 cattle.
October 1913 Muktagachha upazila (Mymensingh District): A tropical cyclone, having moved inland destroyed villages. Casualty: 500 people.
24 September 1917 Khulna. A tropical cyclone. Casualty: 432 people and 28,029 cattle.
May 1941: A cyclonic storm accompanied by storm-surge hit Eastern Meghna River estuary. Casualty: unknown.
October, 1942: A severe cyclonic storm hit The Sundarbans. Casualty: unknown.
17–19 May 1948: A cyclonic storm hit the deltan between Chittagong and Noakhali. Casualty: approximately 1,200 people and 20,000 cattle.
16–19 May 1958: A cyclonic storm accompanied by storm surge hit east and west Meghna River estuary, east of Barisal and Noakhali. Casualty: 870 people and 14,500. Also standing crops were destroyed.
21–24 October 1958: A cyclonic storm struck Chittagong coast. Effect: Approx. 100,000 families were rendered homeless.
9–10 October 1960: A severe cyclonic storm hit Eastern Meghna River estuary near Noakhali, Bakerganj, Faridpur and Patuakhali. The storm had wind speeds of up to 201 km/hour. The maximum storm surge was 3.05 metres. It caused devastating damage in Char Jabbar, Char Amina, Char Bhatia, Ramgati, Hatiya and Noakhali. Casualty: 3,000 people. Other effects: 62,725 houses destroyed. Crops on 94,000 acres (380 km²) of land were destroyed.
30–31 October 1960: A severe cyclonic storm hit Chittagong, Noakhali, Bakerganj, Faridpur, Patuakhali and eastern Meghna estuary, with winds speed up to 210 km/h. The storm surge reached a height of 4.5-6.1 m. Casualty: about 10,000 people, 27,793 cattle . Losses: 568,161 houses destroyed (including 70% houses in Hatiya). Also, two large ocean-going ships ran aground in the shore, and 5-7 vessels capsized in Karnaphuli River.
9 May 1961: A severe cyclonic storm hit Bagerhat and Khulna. It had wind speeds of up to 161 km/h. The storm surge reached 2.44-3.05 m. Casualty: 11,468 people (mostly in Char Alexander), 25,000 cattle. Damages: The railway tracks between Noakhali and Harinarayanpur were damaged.
26–30 October 1962: A severe cyclone hit Feni. Maximum windspeed was 161 km/h. The storm surge was 2.5-3.0 m. Casualty: about 1,000 people, many domestic cattle.
28–29 May 1963: A severe cyclonic storm devastated Chittagong, Noakhali, Cox's Bazar and coastal islands of Sandwip, Kutubdia, Hatiya and Maheshkhali. The storm surge reached 4.3-5.2 m in Chittagong. Maximum windspeed was up to 203 km/h and at Cox's Bazar 164 km/h. Casualty: 11,520 people, 32,617 cattle. Damages: 376,332 houses, 4,787 boats, and standing crops.
11–12 May 1965: A strong cyclone hit Barisal and Bakerganj. The windspeed reached a maximum of 162 km/h. The storm surge was 3.7 m. Casualty:19,279 people (out of that, 16,456 in Barisal).
14–15 December 1965: A strong cyclone hit the coast near Cox's Bazar and Patuakhali. The storm surge rose up to 4.7-6.1 m. The windspeed was up to 210 km/h in Cox's Bazar. Casualty" 873 people. Damage: 40,000 salt beds destroyed.
1 October 1966: A cyclone hit Sandwip, Bakerganj, Khulna, Chittagong, Noakhali and Comilla. Maximum strong surge was 4.7-9.1 m. The maximum wind speed was 146 km/h. Total people affected: 1.5 million people. Casualty: 850 people, 65,000 cattle.
13 November-13 November: The 1970 Bhola cyclone hit the entire coast of Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). Most affected were Chittagong, Barguna, Khepupara, Patuakhali, north of Char Burhanuddin, Char Tazumuddin and south of Maijdi, Haringhata. The official death toll was 500,000 but the number is likely to be higher. Damages include destruction of approximately 20,000 fishing boats, and also property and crops. Total loss of cattle reached more than one million. More than 400,000 houses and 3,500 educational institutions were destroyed. Maximum windspeed reached about 222 km/h. Maximum storm surge was about 10.6 m.
5–6 November 1971: A cyclone hit coastal areas of Chittagong.
28–30 November 1971: A cyclonic storm hit the coast near the Sundarbans. Maximum wind speed was 97–113 km/h. The storm surge reached 1 m. Low lying areas of Khulna town inundated.
6–9 December 1973: The coastal areas near the Sundarbans were hit by a cyclone, accompanied by storm surge. Coastal areas near Patuakhali and nearby islands were submerged under the tidal bore.
13–15 August 1974: A cyclonic storm hit Khulna. Maximum wind speed reached 80.5 km/h. Casualty:600 people.
24–28 November 1974: A cyclone struck the coastal areas near Cox's Bazar and Chittagong, including the offshore islands. Maximum wind speed reached 161 km/h. The storm surge was up to 2.8-5.2 m. Casualty: 200 people, 1000 cattle. Damages: 2,300 houses destroyed.
9–12 May 1975: A strong cyclone pummeled Bhola, Cox's Bazar and Khulna. Maximum wind speed was 96.5 to 112.6 km/h. Casualty: 5 people.
9–12 May 1977: Khulna, Noakhali, Patuakhali, Barisal, Chittagong and offshore islands were hit by a cyclone. Maximum wind speed was up to 112.63 km/h.
14–15 October 1983: A strong cyclone hit the coastal islands and chars near Chittagong and Noakhali. Maximum wind speed reached 122 km/h: Casualty: 43 people. 6 fishing boats and a trawler lost, more than 150 fishermen and 100 fishing boats went missing Damages: 20% of the aman rice crops in the affected regions were destroyed.
5–9 November 1983: A cyclone hit Chittagong, Cox's Bazar coast near Kutubdia, St Martin's Island, Teknaf, Ukhia, Moipong, Sonadia, Barisal, Patuakhali and Noakhali. The maximum wind speed reached 136 km/h. The storm surge was 1.52 m. Casualty:300 fishermen with 50 boats missing. Damages:2,000 houses destroyed.
24–25 May 1985: A severe cyclone hit Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Noakhali and coastal islands (Sandwip, Hatiya, and Urirchar). Maximum wind speed at Chittagong was 154 km/h, at Sandwip was 140 km/h, at Cox's Bazar was 100 km/h. The storm surge reached a height of 3.0-4.6 m. Casualty:11,069 people, 135,033 cattle. Damages: 94,379 houses and 74 km of road, and embankments destroyed.
8–9 November 1986: A severe cyclonic storm hit the coastal island and chars near Chittagong, Barisal, Patuakhali and Noakhali. Maximum windspeed was 110 km/h at Chittagong and 90 km/h at Khulna. Casualty: 14 people. Damages: 972 km² of paddy fields were inundated; Schools, mosques, warehouses, hospitals, houses and buildings were destroyed at Amtali upazila in Barguna District.
24–30 November 1988: A severe cyclonig storm struck Jessore, Kushtia, Faridpur and coastal islands of Barisal and Khulna. The maximum windspeed was 162 km/h. The storm was accompanied by a storm surge of 4.5 m at Mongla Port. Casualty: 5,708 people, and numerous wild animals at The Sundarbans (deer 15,000, Royal Bengal Tiger 9), cattle 65,000. Total damage to crops reached Taka 9.41 billion.
29–30 April 1991: The 1991 Bangladesh cyclone hit Bangladesh late 29 April night. The storm originated in the Indian Ocean and reached the Bay of Bengal coast after 20 days. The diameter of the storm was close to 600 km. The maximum wind speed (observed at Sandwip) reached 225 km/h. At other places, the maximum wind speed was reported as follows: Chittagong 160 km/h, Khepupara (Kalapara) 180 km/h, Kutubdia 180 km/h, Cox's Bazar 185 km/h, and Bhola 178 km/h. (The NOAA-11 satellite estimated the maximum wind speed to be about 240 km/h at 1.38 pm on 29 April). The storm made landfall near the coast north of Chittagong port during the night of the 29th April. The maximum storm surge height reached about 5 to 8 m. Casualty: 150,000 people, 70,000 cattle. Damages: loss of property was estimated at about Tk 60 billion.
31 May-2 June 1991: A cyclone hit the coastal islands and chars near Patuakhali, Barisal, Noakhali and Chittagong. Maximum wind speed reachd 110 km/h. The storm surge was 1.9 m.
29 April-3 May 1994: A severe cyclonic storm hit the coastal islands near Cox's Bazar. Maximum windspeed reached 210 km/h. Casualty: 400 people, 8,000 cattle.
21–25 November 1995: A severe cyclonic storm hit the coastal islands near Cox's Bazar. The maximum wind speed was up to 210 km/h. Casualty: 650 people, 17,000 cattle.
16–19 May 1997: A severe cyclonic storm hit the coastal islands and chars near Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Noakhali and Bhola districts. The maximum wind speed was 225 km/hour, and the storm surge reached 3.05 metres. Casualty: 126 people.
25–27 September 1997: A severe cyclonic storm hit coastal islands near Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Noakhali and Bhola. It had wind speeds of up to 150 km/hour, and a storm surge of 1.83 to 3.05 metres.
16–20 May 1998 A severe cyclonic storm with windspeed of 150 km/hour struck coastal islands near Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, and Noakhali. The storm surge was from 1.83 to 2.44 metres.
19–22 November 1998: A cyclonic storm, with wind speeds up to 90 km/hour, and a storm surge of 1.22 to 2.44 metres. hit coastal islands and sand shoals near Khulna, Barisal, and Patuakhali.
November 15, 2007: Cyclone Sidr makes landfall on southern Bangladesh, causing over 2,000 deaths and severe damage.
How Bangladesh Survived a Cyclone
A man sits and grieves for his family, who were lost in the cyclone that rocked Bangladesh on Nov. 15, 2007.
In all, some 27 million people were affected by Cyclone Sidr, the category 4 storm that swept through Bangladesh last week, flattening houses, damaging buildings and roads, and destroying thousands of acres of crops. More than 2,000 people were killed, according to official numbers, and the toll could eventually reach 10,000. But even as Bangladesh begins a massive cleanup operation, many are thankful that it wasn't much worse. As devastating as it was, Sidr has taken far fewer lives than 1991's Cyclone
Gorky, which killed at least 138,000 people, and 1970's Bhola, which left as many as 500,000 people dead and is considered the deadliest cyclone, and one of the worst natural disasters, in human history.
Mainly, this is because Bangladesh has gotten a lot better at dealing with cyclones, which build in the Bay of Bengal and surge north to hit the country with dreadful regularity. Over the past decade especially, the country's early warning and preparedness systems have improved considerably. Officials evacuated some 3.2 million people who lived along the coastline in the days before Sidr hit, and stockpiled relief supplies and rescue equipment. Soon after the storm passed, the Bangladeshi government quickly began distributing 4,000 metric tons of rice, along with thousands of tents and blankets, and deployed more than 700 medical teams to the worst-affected areas. Early warnings and preparations had a "significant mitigating effect in this emergency," according to the United Nations Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "[The system] has worked much, much better than before," says A. Atiq Rahman, executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, of the country's disaster preparations. "The death toll is going to be an order of magnitude less."
Still, keeping future death tolls low is likely to get a lot harder. Scientists believe that global warming will make cyclones in the region bigger and more frequent. That's bad news for Bangladesh, whose location and geography makes it not only particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change but also extremely hard to protect. Most of Bangladesh sits on the giant alluvial delta created by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, whose courses are constantly shifting, making it difficult to build up river banks to protect farmland. A World Bank project, backed by France, Japan and the U.S., would construct 8,000 km of dikes to control the rivers, but the $10 billion proposal has run into opposition from farmers whose land it would take. Massive Dutch-style dikes to hold back the sea — and future cyclone-induced waves — are probably even more unworkable. "The soil isn't steady as such — it's mud," says Rahman, who is a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and chair of the Climate Action Network South Asia. "You have these huge, rapidly changing geological dynamics here that make it a very hard place to protect."
On a more human scale, however, there are some slivers of hope. Already people in some areas of Bangladesh have begun building houses on tall stilts to evade annual floodwaters. Non-governmental organizations such as U.K.-based Practical Action have also developed simple house designs — two-foot-high concrete plinths topped with inexpensive and easily replaced jute panel walls — that help prevent some homes from being washed away. CARE, the U.S.-based NGO, has helped people living along the coast rediscover forgotten farming techniques such as baira cultivation, or floating gardens, an age-old agricultural system well suited to areas that are flooded for long periods of time. Farmers might also benefit from salt-tolerant varieties of rice or fast-growing crops that can be harvested before the devastating monsoons arrive. It will help, too, if the Bangladeshi government speeds up its implementation of plans created after earlier ruinous floods, including improving drainage in cities, better sanitation management and fixing up the worst slums.
Regardless of these preparations, much of Bangladesh will be transformed if current global warming trends continue. As the sea level rises, vast swaths of coastal land will disappear in coming decades — as much as 18% of Bangladesh's current landmass, according to the World Bank. And as the rivers swell with water from melting Himalayan glaciers, land in the center of the country will also disappear. Those effects, combined with more frequent and stronger cyclones, could spark an exodus of climate refugees fleeing for the cities and for other countries.
That's a problem, because Bangladesh is already one of the most densely populated countries on the globe — just under half the population of the U.S. crammed into an area the size of the state of Iowa. Neighboring India is already so worried about the growing number of Bangladeshi migrants that it is building a huge fence on the two nations' shared border. Rahman, however, sees a silver lining: Bangladesh's fleeing multitudes can help feed the West's need for cheap labor as its own population ages. "The globalization of the climate process will force the globalization of the demographic process," he says. And if the rich world is not ready to let in millions of Bangladeshis looking for somewhere dry to live? "The rich world caused this problem so they're going to have to pay for it," says Rahman. "I've started telling my colleagues from Europe and Canada that we might have to introduce a system that says if you produce 10,000 tons of carbon you have to take a Bangladeshi family. They don't like hearing that." They may have to get used to it
Bangladesh cyclone death toll hits 15,000
In the worst affected districts, 90 pc of homes and 95 pc of rice crops and valuable prawn farms were obliterated by the winds
By Peter Foster, South Asia correspondent
8:01PM GMT 18 Nov 2007
Up to 15,000 people were killed and seven million lives left devastated by the cyclone in Bangladesh last week, aid agencies have said as the full extent of the disaster became clear.
Children tied to trees to escape cyclone In pictures: Cyclone Sidr Peter Foster: Notes from a chaotic city
The Bangladeshi Red Crescent Society, the country's main humanitarian group, said that more than 3,000 bodies had already been recovered from villages shattered by Cyclone Sidr's 150mph winds.
While the official death toll remains low, Save the Children last night said that it feared that 15,000 people could have died while the Red Crescent estimated around 10,000.
An international relief effort, supported by donations from the UN, Britain, US and Europe, was slowly grinding into gear yesterday as the International Red Cross estimated 900,000 families had been affected.
Previous cyclones killed 500,000 people in 1970 and 143,000 in 1991 - however local officials said the impact would now fall on the many survivors.
In the worst affected districts, 90 per cent of homes and 95 per cent of rice crops and valuable prawn farms were obliterated by the winds, which generated a 20ft tidal surge that swept everything from its path.
Fallen trees and flooded roads are also seriously impeding the relief crews' efforts to reach stricken coastal villages, with elephants being used in some areas to clear the heaviest debris.
Officials described the humanitarian situation in coastal districts like Barguna, 130 miles south of the capital Dhaka, as the "worst in decades", a grave assertion in a country that is used to dealing with annual floods and storms.
Tapan Chowdhury, a government adviser for food and disaster management, described the cyclone as a "national calamity" and urged all to come forward to help the victims.
Relief operators on the ground said supplies were still inadequate and that the government should make an immediate plea for more international aid to avert a "human disaster".
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"I have never seen such a catastrophe in my 20 years as a government administrator," said Harisprasad Pal, an official from Barguna District, "Village after village has been shattered. Millions of people are living out in the open and relief is reaching less than one percent of the people."
When reached, victims are being found dehydrated and in a state of shock.
"I lost six of my family members in the cyclone. I am afraid that the rest of us will die of hunger," said Sattar Gazi, a 55-year-old farmer in the village of Nishanbari.
"For the corpses we don't have clothes to wrap them in for burial. We are wrapping the bodies in leaves."
Britain announced immediate aid of £2.5 million, while the United States ordered two warships from the Bay of Bengal to assist with rescue and relief efforts, air-lifting supplies to areas cut off by flooding.
Lord Malloch Brown, the Foreign Office minister, said: "We have offered our immediate support to relief efforts through the UN and stand ready to provide more assistance when required."
One million displaced by 140mph cyclone
The Pope appealed for immediate international aid for those stricken by the disaster in Bangladesh.
"In renewing my deep condolences to the families and the entire nation, which is very dear to me, I appeal to international solidarity," he said.
"I encourage all possible efforts to help these brothers who are suffering so much."
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