May 1997 Bangladesh cyclone
Encyclopedia
The May 1997 Bangladesh cyclone was a powerful storm that caused widespread damage and loss of life throughout Bangladesh
. Originating from a near-equator
ial trough
on May 15, 1997, the cyclone tracked in a general northward direction throughout its existence. The system gradually intensified over the following days, reaching the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
by May 17. The following day, the storm attained its peak intensity with winds of 215 km/h (135 mph) according to the JTWC and 165 km/h (105 mph) according to the IMD along with a barometric pressure of 964 mbar
(hPa
; 28.47 inHg). On May 19, the cyclone made landfall
near Chittagong
, Bangladesh
before rapidly dissipating the next day.
Prior to the storm's landfall, official in Bangladesh prompted more than 500,000 residents to evacuate from coastal areas and seek shelter. Despite the large-scale evacuation, more than 1,000 people perished as a result of the cyclone, most of which took place offshore. Numerous structures were damaged or destroyed throughout the affected region and electricity was lost for millions of people. In some areas, entire villages were leveled by the cyclone's storm surge
. In the wake of the storm, water-borne diseases began to spread due to standing water and bodies being left out in the open. In response to the disaster, funds from across the globe were sent in to Bangladesh to help the country recover.
ial trough
developed. The poorly organized system slowly tracked towards the north-northwest. The following day, deep convection
consolidated around the center of circulation
and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) classified the system as Tropical Cyclone 01B. On May 15, the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) also began monitoring the system; however, they classified it as Depression BOB 01. Favorable upper-level conditions and good outflow
allowed the storm to intensify. Shortly after, the cyclone attained tropical storm-force winds and turned towards the northeast. While gradually increasing in forward motion, the storm continued to strengthen. The IMD eventually upgraded the system to a cyclonic storm on May 16.
On May 17, the cyclone attained winds of 120 km/h (75 km/h), equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
. By May 18 an eye
developed and the storm reached its peak intensity with winds of 215 km/h (135 mph). At this time, the IMD assessed BOB 01 to have winds of 165 km/h (105 mph 3-minute sustained) and a barometric pressure of 964 mbar
(hPa
; 28.47 inHg). The cyclone made landfall
the following day near Chittagong
, Bangladesh
at this intensity. After landfall, the storm rapidly tracked northeastward inland and dissipated early on May 20.
, roughly 500,000 people evacuated low-lying coastal areas across the country. However, according to The Washington Post
, several million people evacuated ahead of the cyclone's arrival. In response to the threat of a major disaster, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
sent up to 33,000 volunteers to assist in evacuation efforts. The ACT Development set up shelters in the Cox's Bazar District
, housing roughly 40,000 people, and their Disaster Preparedness Unit kept close contact with other organizations to prepare post-storm relief efforts. Initially, there were fears that the storm may become a repeat of the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone
which killed 139,000 people; however, the storm turned towards the northeast prior to landfall, preventing the worst of the storm surge
from directly striking the coast. Additionally, the system ended up hitting at low-tide instead of high-tide as initially feared. Had it struck at high tide, it is estimated that a storm surge of 6 m (19.7 ft) would have inundated much of the Bangladeshi coastline.
struck the same region, killing 46 more. Additionally, 750 fishermen went missing offshore during the storm; all are believed to have perished. In all, between 1,146 and 1,296 people died due to the cyclone; however, monetary losses are not available.
In Chittagong, news reports from Reuters
stated that winds from the storm leveled homes and were throwing tin roofs like they were leaves. Within the first few hours of the cyclone's destructive passage of the country, six people were confirmed killed. Entire villages were leveled and numerous crops were flooded by the storm. On the islands of Teknaf and St. Martin's Island
, a 2 m (6.6 ft) swamped the entire area, killing 100 people.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Originating from a near-equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial trough
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
on May 15, 1997, the cyclone tracked in a general northward direction throughout its existence. The system gradually intensified over the following days, reaching the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
by May 17. The following day, the storm attained its peak intensity with winds of 215 km/h (135 mph) according to the JTWC and 165 km/h (105 mph) according to the IMD along with a barometric pressure of 964 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
(hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
; 28.47 inHg). On May 19, the cyclone made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
near Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
before rapidly dissipating the next day.
Prior to the storm's landfall, official in Bangladesh prompted more than 500,000 residents to evacuate from coastal areas and seek shelter. Despite the large-scale evacuation, more than 1,000 people perished as a result of the cyclone, most of which took place offshore. Numerous structures were damaged or destroyed throughout the affected region and electricity was lost for millions of people. In some areas, entire villages were leveled by the cyclone's storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
. In the wake of the storm, water-borne diseases began to spread due to standing water and bodies being left out in the open. In response to the disaster, funds from across the globe were sent in to Bangladesh to help the country recover.
Meteorological history
On May 13, a near-equatorEquator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial trough
Low pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
developed. The poorly organized system slowly tracked towards the north-northwest. The following day, deep convection
Atmospheric convection
Atmospheric convection is the result of a parcel-environment instability, or temperature difference, layer in the atmosphere. Different lapse rates within dry and moist air lead to instability. Mixing of air during the day which expands the height of the planetary boundary layer leads to...
consolidated around the center of circulation
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) classified the system as Tropical Cyclone 01B. On May 15, the India Meteorological Department
India Meteorological Department
The India Meteorological Department , also referred to as the Met Office, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology...
(IMD) also began monitoring the system; however, they classified it as Depression BOB 01. Favorable upper-level conditions and good outflow
Outflow (meteorology)
Outflow, in meteorology, is air that flows outwards from a storm system. It is associated with ridging, or anticyclonic flow. In the low levels of the troposphere, outflow radiates from thunderstorms in the form of a wedge of rain-cooled air, which is visible as a thin rope-like cloud on weather...
allowed the storm to intensify. Shortly after, the cyclone attained tropical storm-force winds and turned towards the northeast. While gradually increasing in forward motion, the storm continued to strengthen. The IMD eventually upgraded the system to a cyclonic storm on May 16.
On May 17, the cyclone attained winds of 120 km/h (75 km/h), equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
. By May 18 an eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
developed and the storm reached its peak intensity with winds of 215 km/h (135 mph). At this time, the IMD assessed BOB 01 to have winds of 165 km/h (105 mph 3-minute sustained) and a barometric pressure of 964 mbar
Bar (unit)
The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...
(hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
; 28.47 inHg). The cyclone made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
the following day near Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
at this intensity. After landfall, the storm rapidly tracked northeastward inland and dissipated early on May 20.
Preparations
About a day before the cyclone would make landfall in Bangladesh, officials in the country raised the highest danger signals and evacuated numerous residents. According to the ACT DevelopmentACT Development
ACT Alliance is a global alliance of churches and related organisations focusing on long-term development and humanitarian assistance. The alliance has a membership of more than 100 organisations, working with about 30,000 members of staff and volunteers, in 140 countries, with a combined budget...
, roughly 500,000 people evacuated low-lying coastal areas across the country. However, according to The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, several million people evacuated ahead of the cyclone's arrival. In response to the threat of a major disaster, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
sent up to 33,000 volunteers to assist in evacuation efforts. The ACT Development set up shelters in the Cox's Bazar District
Cox's Bazar District
Cox's Bazar District is a district in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. It is named after Cox's Bazar, which is one of the world's longest natural sea beaches . It is located south of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the name Panowa . Another old name was Palongkee...
, housing roughly 40,000 people, and their Disaster Preparedness Unit kept close contact with other organizations to prepare post-storm relief efforts. Initially, there were fears that the storm may become a repeat of the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone
1991 Bangladesh cyclone
-External links:** from NIRAPAD disaster response organisation.**...
which killed 139,000 people; however, the storm turned towards the northeast prior to landfall, preventing the worst of the storm surge
Storm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
from directly striking the coast. Additionally, the system ended up hitting at low-tide instead of high-tide as initially feared. Had it struck at high tide, it is estimated that a storm surge of 6 m (19.7 ft) would have inundated much of the Bangladeshi coastline.
Impact
In Bangladesh, the storm wrought catastrophic damage and left hundreds of people dead in its wake. On land, between 350 and 500 people died due to the storm. As the tail end of the system moved through, a tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
struck the same region, killing 46 more. Additionally, 750 fishermen went missing offshore during the storm; all are believed to have perished. In all, between 1,146 and 1,296 people died due to the cyclone; however, monetary losses are not available.
In Chittagong, news reports from Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
stated that winds from the storm leveled homes and were throwing tin roofs like they were leaves. Within the first few hours of the cyclone's destructive passage of the country, six people were confirmed killed. Entire villages were leveled and numerous crops were flooded by the storm. On the islands of Teknaf and St. Martin's Island
St. Martin's Island
St. Martin's Island is a small island in the northheast part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh. It is not a coral island in Bangladesh. It is about 8 km west of the northwest coast of...
, a 2 m (6.6 ft) swamped the entire area, killing 100 people.