Another cyclone struck the Chittagong region in Bangladesh in 1991 killing over 138,000 people and causing damage in excess of 1.5 billion dollars. The tropical cyclone devastated the coastal area southeast of Dacca with winds in excess of 130kts and a 20 foot storm surge.
On April 29, 1991 , a cyclone with a velocity of 225 kilometer per hour, hit the coast of Chittagong. Nearly 1 40,000 peopledied mostly due to the storm surges which travelled through the canals. Flooding was so high that it receded several days after the storm hit. .
On April 29, 1991 another devastating cyclone would hit Bangladesh. On the Saffer-Simpson hurricane scale this storm ranked as a strong Category 4 with sustained wind of 145 miles per hour with a storm surge of 20 feet. It was the strongest tropical cyclone to hit Bangladesh this century, see Figure 2 (Cobb 1993). This storm would have devastated any place it hit, but it hit the coast of Bangladesh where people just could not get out of the way. Over 139,000 people were killed with 10 million going homeless (Cobb 1993). Crops, cattle and livelihoods were all destroyed.
The 1991 disaster has forced the government to build more shelters, but they are only building hundreds when thousands are required. Also, efficient warning systems are still years away. Unfortunately, most people of Bangladesh still have no way to protect themselves from this kind of disaster and are not likely to for many years to come, if ever. .
PHYSICAL FACTORS.
1. Bay of Bengal is funnel shape, so water is confined into a narrower area.
2. Warm seas 26 C- much evaporation and latent heat - giving energy to the storm.
3. Away from the equator so Coriolis affect causes circular pattern of wind.
4. Coastline - lowlying land - 3m above sea level - delta of the Ganges, crossed by several large rivers.
SHORT TERM EFFECTS 1991.
1991 - 738mb storm surge of 6 - 9 m at 1.45 am, killing 139 600 people, including 20000 who stayed in spite of warnings.
