SnMre imj~s on f’ NQveflfl?ar, 1996 shoifl a cvdonrc storm ~ypJop~d In R~y & ~ngar an~ oachflg the Ccdavad delta !n ~cnd?n Pride-sit
cyclones — The Prob/em S/ze
The most clestruetive of weather syst~n-t5, Severe Tropica’ CycEones (TOW Drings worst ~Fsastei-s when It strikes ccas rn tri-e ~reterre~ Pocanons or the eartft Trop(cal cyclones are intense low-pressure area; with Frerce wrncts tJowpng antr-crocxwise manner in me Northern ]1emls~here extending on an a~ierage 500 to 1000 km laterally ioiier the rriaian seasi and surface to i~’t5 km vertically, They are cEasSifpeci according to Wina speeC in their tirculatlofl- The assocEated Winds often-exceeding 2(X kmr~1i, rainfall exceeding 50 to 1~ Cm ha 21 hoLe-sand, worst of all. very Jugh storm tide Estorrri surw combitlea wLth astrcnormcat tlde often-exceeoing 54 meters bring disaster aver the eoa!J~i areas in the wake of a cyc’one. in extreme caces. wind speed of flO kmtMi gusting to 3&) kmpn, rainfaM 120 cm in 2i hours sni storm surge at 13 to 14 meters have been recorded In as~ocr]trnri with Wo~ica1 cycLones. out of these three clestructhre eiefl!eflts vl., strong winds. riesw ra~ rif alP as-it! ston-n tide, the storm tide i~ responsible fOr~ Der cent of the loss Of F(fa In me case ol cycione disasters.
The Impact of troolcal cyclone is, plate and time dcpendent arid1 Is not merely dependent on its strength and crequency. The frequency Of cyclone over the north Indian ocean fthe Bay of Sengai and the Arabian Sea) is ttte least 16 per year which Is about 7 per cent cc tho Ulobal total Of Such
80 tropical stormsl and short lived.
Smaller in size and less intense. compared to elsewhere In the globe, they are the deadliest of all. when they strike the coastal area bordering the North Gay oc Bengal. During the past 2% century, out of 23 cases of major tropical cyclone disasters (human death 1O~ODD or more) In the globe, zo have occurred bordering the flay Of rengal i.e. In India and Bangladesh. Th~ reason is serious form surqe problem in the North Bay of sengal. Prig liest surge of 41 feet so far rccorded lii the world was observed trom this area In 1816 Ifl association with takerganj Cyclofl* of sangiadesh~ which tilled approximately ~,OO,OOO peopla
Shahiow coastal Water, funneirng coastal CWifigUratlOfl~ combined witi Pugh Zuonocnlcal tic!. helps generating devastating storm surge over the coastaL areas of the nOfltl e~y of Oer~Qai even wltI~ trapicaF Cyclone OP moderate int.enstty. LOW Flat cerraki and Inz-ruynerab1e dyer channels help stor-~n surge to penetrate deep inside the land and submerge ~‘ast areas. i’-ciqIi Censty of populatJOn and sooo econorriic Condiflons Of th€ people over these areas is~ the other reasons for ~arae Loss 01 liveS Cue to trogical cyclone disaster.
us ~anaai
Ofletor General cRetQJ inthan MetereoIoq)caI oepartment
~!poIr(Parr.fofE~vertCeoia serL4,byMJr~ctry ~ a-ban OvetopmrniE 1998
the Jmpact of tropIcal ‘cydone is not mereN ienencient on lt~ strength and freciuency but is clapen lent On location and time TnPs has been !rtferred from thC fact that aIthOu~ih the natural phenomenon of formation or trupical Cyclone can ri-at be prevented, but Ftc in~a~t could he mirumisea by Taking adequate lOri~ aria short term disaster mitigat,ion measures, more so With advance warning systems in place For tropic$ cyclone, being fortunateLy available today
Wind Prone Areas
‘one or th~ rectur~ments ~f ;onQ-term disaster rrn~Içati~rt m~aSure is tne risk asses,rnent nit the other hand, th~ ettici~nr qcion~ warnhr1~ system i~ an Ern.parb~nt rertuiterflQflt O~ Short term CrSaSCer mitigation measure. Tile (~d~an MetEorological Department ~MD) Es well eqthifl~ed to aqaL~ce fltstcrnc records ~ we~i IS. and ~rganjse cycFa’le warnings,