cyclone remal impact – Artifex.News

Deadly Bangladesh cyclone one of longest seen

admin — Wed, 29 May 2024 09:32:45 +0000

Cyclone Remal, which made landfall in low-lying Bangladesh and neighbouring India on May 26 evening with fierce gales and crashing waves, left at least 38 people dead, destroyed thousands of homes, smashed seawalls and flooded cities across the two countries.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Bangladeshi weather experts said on May 28 that a deadly cyclone that carved a swath of destruction was one of the quickest-forming and longest-lasting they’d experienced, blaming climate change for the shift.

The toll includes 12 workers who died on May 28 when a quarry collapsed in India’s Mizoram state, which the government attributed to torrential rains as the storm progressed inland.

Members of rescue teams look for survivors amidst the debris next to a stone quarry that collapsed following torrential rains brought by Cyclone Remal on the outskirts of Aizawl, Mizoram on May 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

“In terms of its land duration, it is one of the longest in the country’s history,” Azizur Rahman, director of the state-run Bangladesh Meteorological Department told AFP, adding it had battered the country for more than 36 hours.

In contrast, Cyclone Aila, which hammered Bangladesh in 2009, lasted around 34 hours.

Cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh in recent decades, and the number of superstorms hitting its densely populated coast has increased sharply, from one a year to as many as three, due to the impact of climate change.

Slow-moving and longer-lasting storms bring greater destruction.

“I’ve seen many storms in my life but nothing like this cyclone”, said Asma Khatun, an 80-year-old widow who lives with her son, a fisherman in Bangladesh’s hard-hit coastal town of Patuakhali.

“Before, the storm came and went away… now it doesn’t seem to go away. The incessant pouring and heavy wind kept us stuck for days”.

‘Impact of climate change’

Mr. Rahman said the cyclone triggered massive rains, with some cities receiving at least 200 millimetres (7.9 inches).

Storm surges breached multiple embankments, meaning seawater flooded into farmland, damaged freshwater fish farms common along the coast, or corrupted drinking water.

Bangladesh’s state minister for disaster Mohibbur Rahman said 3.75 million people had been affected by the cyclone, more than 35,000 homes were destroyed, and another 115,000 damaged.

“We don’t know where to go,” said Setara Begum, 75, surveying the wreckage of her home after its tin roof was ripped off.

Meteorologist Mr. Rahman said the cyclone formed more quickly than almost all the cyclones they have monitored in recent decades.

“Of course, quick cyclone formation and the long duration of cyclones are due to the impact of climate change,” Mr. Rahman said.

“It took three days for it to turn into a severe cyclone from low pressure in the Bay of Bengal… I’ve never seen a cyclone formed from a low pressure in such a quick time,” he said.

“Usually, a cyclone is formed in the south and southwest of the Bay of Bengal, then takes seven to eight days to turn into a severe cyclone.”

People come through an uprooted tree damaged by strong winds following landfall of Cyclone Remal in Guwahati, Assamon 28 May 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Ritu Raj Konwar

Drowned, electrocuted, crushed

But while scientists say climate change is fuelling more storms, better forecasting and more effective evacuation planning have dramatically reduced death tolls.

Around a million people in Bangladesh and neighbouring India fled inland seeking safety — but many people preferred to stay put to guard their homes.

In Bangladesh, Cyclone Remal killed at least 17 people, according to the disaster management office and police, who reported on May 28 the additional deaths of a husband and wife, “crushed under stacks of bricks” when their house collapsed.

Some drowned. Others were killed by debris, falling trees or electrocuted by falling power lines.

Thousands of electricity poles were torn down, and power is out across large areas, said Biswanath Sikder, chief engineer of the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board.

“More than 20 million people are without electricity,” Mr. Sikder told AFP.

In India, 21 people died, according to the latest tolls on May 28, including eight in West Bengal, one in Assam, as well as 12 quarry workers killed in Mizoram.

But the worst impact was stemmed by the expansive Sundarbans mangrove forest straddling Bangladesh and India — where the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers meet the sea, Bangladesh’s state weather department said.

The crucial sea-water coastal forests help dissipate the violence of such storms.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warned this month that half of the world’s mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapse due to climate change, deforestation and pollution.

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Cyclone Remal Makes Landfall, Ravages Coasts Of Bengal, Bangladesh

admin — Mon, 27 May 2024 01:41:10 +0000

Cyclone Remal disrupted air, rail, and road transportation in Kolkata and southern Bengal.

Kolkata:

Severe cyclonic storm Remal made landfall between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, unleashing winds up to 135 kmph. The storm, which struck between Sagar Island and Khepupara near the southwest of Mongla in Bangladesh at 8:30 pm on Sunday, brought torrential rains, flooding homes and farmlands, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.

Ahead of the storm, disaster management authorities and security forces across Bengal and northeastern states were placed on high alert. District administrations in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram were instructed to take precautionary measures to mitigate the impact.

Photo Credit: AFP

Cyclone Remal disrupted air, rail, and road transportation in Kolkata and southern Bengal. The Eastern and South Eastern Railways cancelled several trains, and the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata suspended flight operations for 21 hours, affecting 394 flights. The airport had said yesterday that it will resume operations at 9 am today. The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata also halted operations.

In the city’s Bibir Bagan area, a wall collapsed due to heavy rain injuring one person. Reports from North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts indicated extensive damage to thatched roofs, electric poles, and trees. Low-lying areas near Kolkata experienced severe flooding.

Photo Credit: Reuters

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) issued warnings of extremely heavy rainfall across Assam and other northeastern states on May 27 and 28. Orange and Red alerts were issued for various districts, anticipating severe weather conditions. Squally winds of 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, were expected over south Assam and Meghalaya.

The Meghalaya government advised residents to prepare emergency kits, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay updated with weather reports. Tripura’s government closed all educational institutions on May 27 and 28 and suspended flight operations on the Kolkata-Agartala route until Monday morning.

Photo Credit: NDRF

Cyclone Remal damaged fragile dwellings, uprooted trees, and toppled electric poles. In the Sundarbans’ Gosaba area, one person was injured by debris. Over one lakh people were evacuated from vulnerable areas in West Bengal before the cyclone struck.

The West Bengal government evacuated approximately 1.10 lakh people from coastal and vulnerable regions to cyclone shelters and other safe locations. Evacuations focused on South 24 Parganas, particularly Sagar Island, Sundarbans, and Kakdwip.

Photo Credit: AFP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review the storm response, while West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose monitored the situation closely. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged residents to stay indoors, assuring them of governmental support.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has mobilised 15,000 civic employees to manage post-cyclone recovery, including the quick removal of uprooted trees.

Photo Credit: NDRF

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted intensifying rains and winds in southern Bengal districts. Fourteen National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed across affected districts, including Kolkata. The state government also readied State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams for relief efforts.

Nine disaster relief teams are on standby. The Indian Navy has prepared two ships with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) supplies and medical aid. Specialised diving and flood relief teams are also on standby.

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