Bangladesh: Cyclone - May 1997

A severe tropical cyclone "One Bravo" gathered intensity in the Bay of Bengal and, as predicted, struck the south-eastern coast of Bangladesh on Monday, 19th May 1997, crossing the Chittagong - Feni coast North of Chittagong at approximately 18.30 hours. Wind speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour were recorded and the cyclone created serious damage and flooding in the eastern coastal belt area of Bangladesh which is home to approximately 4 million people. The effects of the cyclone were felt mostly along two hundred kilometres coastal area between the port city of Chittagong and Teknaf, at the Southern tip of Bangladesh. (IFRC, 20 May 1997)

Approximately one million people took refuge in cyclone shelters, thereby significantly reducing potential loss of life. The Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) with its effective volunteer network, warning system and awareness campaigns played a major role in ensuring the population's evacuation to safety. The cyclone left a trail of devastation along the 200 km. coastal belt between Chittagong and Teknaf, at the southern tip of Bangladesh: 250,000 homes were totally destroyed and over 100,000 were damaged. Crops and livestock were seriously affected. (IFRC, 13 Aug 1997)